


this is home

by philindas



Series: Apartment Verse [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Apartment verse, F/M, Family Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2018-09-25 02:06:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 55
Words: 22,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9797657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philindas/pseuds/philindas
Summary: A collection of drabbles in the Philindaisy apartment verse.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started an "apartment verse" on tumblr, so I decided to put all the drabbles on ao3! Title from the song This is Home by Switchfoot.

“So Jemma mentioned you helped her and Fitz find an apartment,” Phil greets Daisy as he sits across from her at the breakfast table. She looks up from her oatmeal, raising an eyebrow, and he clears his throat. “May and I are trying to find an apartment.”  
  
“I’m gonna guess you aren’t having much luck,” Daisy adds, and Phil nods, sighing a little. “Okay, what are you looking for?”  
  
“Just something small. Two bedrooms. Preferably on the first floor,” he replies, and Daisy clicks a few buttons on her laptop, humming a little as she eats another spoonful of oatmeal.  
  
“What about this? It’s a twenty five minute drive from here, but it’s ground floor, two bedrooms with a full bath, and the kitchen is killer,” she turns the laptop around, and Phil scrolls through the pictures, nodding.  
  
They both look up at the sound of footsteps- Melinda slides into the seat beside Phil, hand on his arm.  
  
“This is really nice, Daisy,” she comments, looking up and smiling at the girl, whose cheeks colored a little as she dipped her head. “See, I told you she’d find us something.”  
  
She rested her chin on Phil’s shoulder as he filled out the application form, and Daisy watched them with affection in her eyes, resting her chin on her hand.


	2. Chapter 2

“So I realize this is probably overstepping some boundaries but I feel like we’ve been through enough that it really isn’t, but-”

“Daisy?” Melinda interrupts, and Daisy abruptly stops, freezing. “What is it?”

“I may have taken some liberties and designed the nursery for your second bedroom?” Daisy says, and Melinda’s brown crinkles. “I mean that’s why you wanted a two bedroom, right? Because you’re pregnant?”

Melinda’s lips part, and for the first time in the entire time Daisy had known her, she looks speechless.

“Daisy, the second bedroom is for you,” Melinda tells her quietly, reaching a hand out to take hers. Daisy’s jaw drops, and the unmistakable sheen of tears brims up in her eyes. “Of course it’s for you. How could we have our own place and not have a Daisy room?”

Daisy gives a tearful laugh at that, ducking her head; Melinda puts her fingers under the younger girl’s chin, tilting it up until she could look her in the eyes.

“We love you, Daisy. We may not be your parents, and we’ll always be a little sorry about that, but we love you as much as we’d love a child we had together,” her voice is soft but serious, and her own eyes are suspiciously damp. “We’d be pretty damn proud to call you our kid, Daisy Johnson.”

Twin tears slip down Daisy’s cheeks, and she lets out a little sob as she leans forward, burying her face in Melinda’s shoulder as the older woman wraps her arms around her, resting her cheek on the top of her head.

“I’d be pretty honored to call you my mom,” Daisy whispered after a moment. Melinda was quiet for a moment.

“I’d like that,” is her soft response, and Daisy holds her just a little bit tighter.


	3. Chapter 3

“I like this color,” Phil comments as he opens the paint can, pouring the thick blue paint into one of the plastic containers, a roller beside it.

“It reminds me of the ocean,” Daisy replies- she’s got on an old shirt of Phil’s he’d lent her, sleeves rolled up, and a red bandanna tying her hair back. “You’re still really okay with being my room?”

“Yes, stop asking,” Melinda walked into the room, her own hair in two braids Daisy had done herself and a faded Operations academy shirt on.

“What she said,” Phil said before he picked up his paint roller, covering it in blue and then attacking the far wall. Daisy followed suit on the other wall, and Melinda snapped a few pictures, drawing groans from the others.

“If that goes on Facebook I’m emancipating myself,” Daisy declares, and Melinda snorts.

“We’ve been her parents for two weeks and she’s already sick of us,” she comments dryly, and Daisy rolls her eyes, coming to kiss Melinda’s cheek.

“I see I get my dramatic flair from you,” she said, swiping blue paint over her nose and drawing a shocked gasp from her.

“That is a lie, Phil is the drama queen in this relationship,” she says, and Phil gives a mock gasp.

“Slander,” he points at Melinda, and she flicks paint at him, splattering his shirt. “Oh this is war.”

He dipped both hands in the paint and made his way to Melinda; he pressed his paint-wet palms to her ass, and she laugh-shouted, shaking her head as she wrapped her arms around him, bending to kiss him through her laughter. They both looked up at the click of a phone camera, and found Daisy grinning at them, phone in hand.

“This is gonna look great in the anniversary slide show,” she teases, and Melinda flipped her off, shaking her head fondly.


	4. Chapter 4

“Who’s May talking to?” Phil looks up from his phone and frowns.  
  
“That’s Henry, our across the hall neighbor,” he answered with disdain, and Daisy raised an eyebrow. “He hits on Mel every chance he gets. It’s like I don’t exist.”  
  
“He’s kinda hot,” Daisy said, tilting her head, and Phil glared. May shifted her stance; it looked like Henry had cornered her near the mail slots, and she looked bored. “AC, you know she loves you.”  
  
“I know. I just hate that the entire world will always think she’s not good enough for me. As if I don’t already know that,” Phil muttered, slipping his phone into his pocket, and Daisy grabbed his arm, stopping him.  
  
“Coulson, you know that’s not true,” Daisy shook her head when he tried to argue. “I’ve watched the two of you for a long time, and I can see how much she’s always loved you. You’re good enough to her, and I think that’s all that matters.”  
  
Phil just looked at her for a moment before he leaned forward, kissing her forehead. “You’re a good kid, you know,” he murmured, and Daisy shoved at him lightly.  
  
“Alright, go on, prove you’re the only one for her,” she rolled her eyes, and Phil laughed, opening the lobby door. Melinda looked up, smiling at them, and Phil completely ignored Henry, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her.  
  
“Hello to you too,” she said breathlessly, cupping his cheek and smiling at him. She looked over her shoulder. “Bye Henry.”  
  
She wrapped her arm around Phil and linked her free arm with Daisy as they walked off, headed for the apartment. 

                                                                       _

“So what warranted that cute display?” Melinda asks once they’re inside the apartment, and Daisy’s started to put away the groceries. She looked over her shoulder, meeting Phil’s gaze, and he sighed.  
  
“I don’t like Henry,” he starts, and Melinda snorts.  
  
“That is not a secret, babe,” she says, and Phil continued to flick through the mail on the counter.  
  
“I don’t like how everyone assumes you’re not with me because you could obviously do better,” his words are low, and Daisy makes a little more noise than necessary in the kitchen while Melinda comes to stand next to him, her hand on his arm.  
  
“How can I do better than the best?” her voice is soft, but her dark eyes are sincere. Her hand slips up to cradle his face, thumb brushing along her cheekbone. “I love you, Phil. I don’t need anything more than you, and I never, ever have.”  
  
“Told you!” Daisy pops her head over the counter, beaming, and both Phil and Melinda rolled their eyes. Melinda kissed Phil’s cheek before she went into the kitchen with Daisy.  
  
“Come on, these won’t put themselves away. And then you and I have a Call of Duty game to get back to,” she said, and Phil snorted.  
  
“Oh this’ll be fun. And afternoon of you yelling at each other,” his tone is affectionate, and both his girls stick their tongues out at him. “Oh that’s mature. Thank you for reminding me I’m the oldest one in this family.”  
  
That earns him two middle fingers, and he laughs as he snags a beer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of Daisy/Robbie this chapter!

“Dude, stop making so much noise.”

“You try climbing through a window and not making noise,” Robbie shoots her an annoyed look, and she rolls her eyes.

“I’ve climbed through plenty of windows without making noise, thank you very much, I _am_ a super spy,” she tells him, and he snorts, finally getting his weight up and over the window jam, and stumbling into the room.

He prompts knocks over her desk chair with a crash, and Daisy groans, because there’s no way they didn’t hear that, and she’s in very tiny shorts and a very see-through shirt.

Coulson’s through her door first, gun raised and shirt on backwards, and May is seconds behind, in a navy silk nightgown and robe combo Daisy never would have pegged her for and her own weapon drawn. Their eyebrows raise in sync, and both Daisy and Robbie raise a hand in an awkward wave.

“Hey there,” she says, trying to smile, but they’re both just staring at her. “So Robbie’s here.”

“Thank you for that, Daisy,” Coulson said, voice a little strained, and May placed her hand on his bicep.

“We have a front door,” she’s talking to Robbie, but her eyes are on Daisy. “It works pretty well, we just oiled the hinges the other day.”

“I’m sure it’s very nice,” Robbie replies, awkwardly, and Daisy drops her head into her hand, wincing.

“Use it next time,” May says, and she gives Daisy a final look before she pulls Coulson from the room, shutting the door behind them. Robbie looks at Daisy, and she shrugs helplessly.

“I feel like we just got caught by your parents,” he says, hands finding her hips, and she shrugs sheepishly.

“We kind of did,” her arms wrap around his neck. “So breakfast is gonna be fun. Hope you brought your bunny slippers.”

Robbie laughed, shaking his head, and she kissed his cheek, beaming.


	6. Chapter 6

“You two go get the vegetables you want- I’ll go to the meat counter,” Melinda says, dividing up the list she has in her hands- she looks up, and both Phil and Daisy nod. Phil leans over to kiss her, soft and sweet, before Daisy drags him over to examine heads of lettuce while Melinda shakes her head fondly at the two of them.  
  
She’s waiting for the butcher to wrap up the ribs and steaks she’d ordered when she feels the gentle tap on her shoulder- she turns and comes face to face with an older woman, her wrinkled face crinkled in a smile.  
  
“I’m sorry to bother you- I just wanted to say what a beautiful family you have,” Melinda can’t help the smile that tugs at the corner of her mouth. “Your daughter looks just like you and your husband, it’s remarkable.”  
  
Melinda opens her mouth to correct her, but finds she doesn’t quite have it in her. She likes that someone thinks Daisy looks like her- likes that someone looks at the two of them and thinks she helped make that incredible young woman.  
  
“Thank you,” Melinda replies, just as Phil and Daisy rejoin her, cart full of vegetables and Daisy chattering excitedly about the movie she wanted to rent that night. The woman smiles, squeezing her arm lightly before she leaves, and Phil wraps an arm around her waist, kissing her cheek.  
  
“What did she want?” he asks quietly, concerned, and she just smiled, placing a hand on his cheek before she lifts onto her tiptoes to kiss him softly.  
  
“Just reminding me how lucky I am to have you both,” she murmured, thumb stroking along his cheekbone. Phil smiled back, eyebrows crinkled a little bit in confusion- the butcher placing the meat on counter breaks them apart, and she places it in the cart, letting Daisy drive. “Alright- to the milk aisle.”


	7. Chapter 7

All three of them look up at the knock on the door, turning to each other in confusion.  
  
Phil grabs his sidearm from the hall table as he makes his way to the door; he stashes it in the back of his jeans as he opens the door, and his eyes widen a little.  
  
“Mrs. May?” Melinda gets out of her seat at that, eyebrows rising in surprise.  
  
“Mama? What are you doing here?” she asks as Phil lets her mother come in, and then her father trails in behind her. “Dad?”  
  
“You don’t call, you don’t write- I had to hack into the CIA servers to find out your new address,” Lian huffs, looking around the living room, eyes settled on Daisy, sitting in the armchair with wide eyes. “You must be Daisy.”  
  
“You hacked the CIA?” the admiration in Daisy’s voice is plain, and Lian’s lips curl into the tiniest smile at it as she nods. Melinda rolls her eyes as Phil locks the door behind them. “I’ve tried to do that at least five times and the last firewall always trips me up.”  
  
“I can teach you,” Lian tells her, and Daisy’s eyes lit up as Melinda protested.  
  
“Excuse me, no, she gets into enough trouble, she doesn’t need access to the CIA database as well,” she says, glaring at her mother, who merely waves her words away.  
  
“I’m bonding with my granddaughter, hush Qiaolian,” she says, and Daisy’s lips curl into an involuntary smile.  
  
“You can teach her later. First, we cook,” William extends a hand to Daisy, who takes it, allowing him to help her to her feet. Melinda watches as her father takes Daisy into their kitchen, already talking her ear off, while Lian follows. Phil comes to stand behind her, hand at her waist, and she leaned into him.  
  
“I wasn’t expecting this,” he murmurs, and she shrugs, looking up at him.  
  
“I was. They always wanted to be grandparents,” her voice is a little sad, and Phil bends down to kiss her.  
  
“Mellie! Come help, we’re making your favorite!” she smiles against his mouth at her father’s voice, pulling away.  
  
“Come on,” she says softly, pulling Phil with her.


	8. Chapter 8

She hasn’t been in DC in nearly five years, and if it hadn’t been for her contract, she gladly wouldn’t have even stepped foot on the east coast again. But the symphony was playing at George Washington University, and she figured she may as well enjoy the city while she was here.

The mall is crowded, and she manages to snag a table outside the Starbucks. She’s people-watching when she catches sight of a familiar face. She passes over it, used to thinking she was seeing him everywhere, but then she hears the voice.

“ _Phil?_ ” she whispers to herself, eyebrows furrowing as she looks back. And there he is- Phil Coulson, standing there, plain as day. She’s about to get up and go over to him when he’s joined by two women, and she pauses.

She recognizes the woman he wraps his arm around- Melinda May, his best friend. He’d shown her a few pictures of the two of them, and while she’d never gotten to meet her, she could see how clearly he’d cared for her. She doesn’t recognize the younger girl who’s with them, and she just watches the trio.

“I’m just saying, they can’t make another Fast and the Furious movie with this premise and make it believable that Brian and Mia wouldn’t help,” the girl is saying- Melinda rolls her eyes in a way that’s clearly affectionate. “It would be different if it was anyone other than Dom.”

“Okay, fair point,” Phil agrees as they stand in line, his fingers playing with the ends of Melinda’s hair as he nods thoughtfully. “But they also want money, so they weren’t going to just not make Furious 8.”

 “Okay, enough, we will not see this as our family movie,” Melinda interrupts them, shaking her head. “I am not listening to you two argue about it at home for the next two weeks.”

Her frown deepens at her words- family? Home? She watches as Phil leans forward, lips brushing Melinda’s forehead as he laughs against her skin.

“It’s Daisy’s turn to pick the movie, Lin,” his voice is so soft, and her heart twists a little.

“I will spare May the torture,” the girl- Daisy- has a grin on her face, and she links her arm through Melinda’s free one. “I’ll be a good daughter, we’ll see something else. Maybe with singing.”

Melinda groans, but all she can focus on is the word _daughter_. Phil had never mentioned children, but the scene before her suggests a perfectly happy family. As impossible as it is- he’s alive, and happy and in love. She wants to know how any of it is true, how he’s alive, but the trio moves forward in the Starbucks line, and she loses sight of them. She sits for a moment, considering what she should do.

She gathers her things and leaves without a backward glance, but with one of the fissures on her heart just a little more healed than before.


	9. Chapter 9

Melinda’s stepping out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel when Phil comes back in with his coffee and her tea, setting them on the bedside table.

“You know, Daisy’s still not up,” he’s got a concerned frown on his face, and Melinda’s eyebrows knit together.

“She wasn’t up late last night, so that’s never a good sign,” she replies, and she dresses quickly, braiding her damp hair quickly before she heads towards Daisy’s bedroom. She knocks gently. “Daisy? Are you up?”

She doesn’t hear anything in response, so she opens the door a bit, frowning at the unmoving mass in the center of the bed. She kneels over the mass, pulling the sheets back a little to find a pale-faced Daisy shivering despite the thick blankets.

“Oh honey,” Melinda murmured, finding Daisy’s skin hot as she laid a hand on her forehead before smoothing her hair out of her face.

“Don’t…feel good,” Daisy whispers through chattering teeth despite the sweat beading at her forehead, and Melinda nods.

“Come on, let’s get you in some clean, warm pajamas, okay? Then we’ll get you back in bed,” she says, and Daisy whines a little as she strips the blankets away. “Come on baby, up you come.”

She calls Phil in, and he brings new sheets- he strips the bed as Melinda brings Daisy to the bathroom so she can wash her face with cool water and help her in an old pair of Phil’s flannel pajama pants and a shirt she’d found at the bottom of her drawer with long sleeves. She finds some Advil and cold meds in the medicine cabinet, and has Daisy take them with a full glass of water.

Daisy leans on her heavily as she guides her back to bed, before Phil helps tuck her in.

“I’m gonna go run to the store- get some orange juice, and soup and crackers,” he murmurs, and Melinda nods; he kisses first her forehead and then Daisy’s before he’s off, and Melinda goes to leave, but Daisy makes a noise.

“Please don’t leave me,” her voice is hoarse, and Melinda is quick to soothe her, hands gentle on her overheated skin.

“I was just going to let you sleep, I won’t go far,” she promises, but Daisy shakes her head, tears forming in her eyes, and Melinda gets onto the bed, letting Daisy press into her side. “Don’t cry, Daisy, I’m right here. I promise I’m not going anywhere.”

Daisy lets out a miserable little sob, and Melinda murmurs softly, stroking her hair until Daisy finally drifted off to sleep, clutching her shirt at the waist with tight fingers. Melinda keeps running her fingers through Daisy’s tangled brunette locks, watching her sleep.

She isn’t even aware of how much time has passed until she looks up at Phil’s soft knock- he leans against the doorjamb and watches them, eyes soft.

“I don’t think she’s used to having someone take care of her when she’s sick,” she murmurs, sadness in her voice, and Phil comes forward, kneeling next to her side of the bed and kissing her wrist.

“She’s got us now,” he whispers, reaching his own hand out to brush over the top of Daisy’s head. “She doesn’t have to be the only one to take care of herself now.”

“I know,” Melinda sighed softly, letting Daisy shift into a more comfortable position, head fully in her lap and drawing a small smile from the older woman. “I’m gonna be here awhile, I think.”

“I’ll bring a chair in,” Phil replies, lips quirking. “I’ll grab Goblet of Fire too.”

“Company and you’ll read to me? How lucky am I,” Phil rolls his eyes at her, but warmth settles in her chest as she begins to mindlessly braid bits of Daisy’s hair, getting the hair out of her face. The girl shifts, clutching her shirt a little tighter, and she strokes her neck until she settled down, sighing nasally and coughing a bit.

She looks up as Phil drags a kitchen chair in, settling down with the large green book. She settles in, closing her eyes as he starts to read.


	10. Chapter 10

“Daisy’s on her way,” Phil looks up from the steak he’s cutting at Melinda’s voice, and she sets her phone on the island, picking up her wine glass. “Need any help?”  
  
“I don’t need anything burned, so no,” he teases, and she flips him off before she goes to set the table, setting three places instead of the normal two.  
  
Daisy doesn’t even knock, just uses her keep and drops her bag to the floor, inhaling deeply.  
  
“God it smells so good in here,” she says in way of greeting, shutting the door and toeing out of her black boots before she comes to hug May, tucking her chin into her shoulder and squeezing. Melinda strokes her hair, smoothing her finger down Daisy’s cheek as she pulls back, before the younger woman goes over to Phil, kissing his cheek and snagging a pepper from the pile he has to saute.  
  
“Someone’s in a good mood,” Melinda observes, and Daisy shrugs.  
  
“I’m off for the next four days so I’m gonna camp out here, if that’s okay,” she looks up hesitantly, and Melinda nods.  
  
“This is your home too, Dais. You can stay as long as you want,” she reminds her, and Daisy’s cheeks flush a little as she ducks her head. “So what movie did you bring?”  
  
“I’m feeling a Resident Evil marathon,” Phil groans while Melinda grins.  
  
“Horror? Really?” Phil grumbles, turning off the stove and plating the food. “Didn’t we just have that Paranormal Activity marathon?”  
  
“That was like a month ago, Coulson, and that hardly counts as horror, it’s all crappy jump scares,” Daisy shakes her head, standing to get a beer and bringing one for him as well. “Resident Evil is good, old-fashioned horror action with monsters and the works.”  
  
“I’m blaming you if I get nightmares,” he tells her, drawing snorts from both Melinda and Daisy. “I hate you both.”  
  
“No you don’t,” Melinda said, leaning over to kiss him, and Daisy made a noise.  
  
“Alright, come on, this is the dinner table,” she complains, waving her hand at them. They pulled apart, shaking their heads, before everyone picked up their forks. “So I guess a Saw marathon isn’t something you’d enjoy.”  
  
She laughed at Coulson’s groan.


	11. Chapter 11

"Come on, up," Daisy groans as May yanks the curtains open, flooding the room with light, and pulls the covers back over her head. "We have plans, get dressed and meet in the kitchen, you've got twenty minutes."  
  
Her door shuts with a click, and she huffs, pushing the covers off and getting out of bed. When she walks out twenty minutes later, dressed and hair pulled back into the tiny ponytail her short hair allowed, Coulson presented her with a steaming to-go cup of coffee and a bagel smeared with cream cheese.  
  
"Where are you dragging me?" she asks, licking cream cheese off her thumb as she shoves her feet into shoes and follows them out the door. Coulson just smiled at her over his shoulder, and she rolled her eyes.  
  
She drinks her coffee as May drives; her eyebrows crinkle together in confusion as they drive farther out of the city, until they're on the highway. The green slowly blends into sand, and her eyes widen.  
  
"Are we going to the beach?" she asks, and at Coulson's nod in the mirror, she beams. "But I didn't dress for the beach."  
  
"Packed your bag last night while you were asleep," May answers, and Daisy snorts, shaking her head affectionately as she finishes the last of her coffee.  
  
"God I haven't been to the beach in like...ever," she replies, looking out at the crashing waves.  
  
"Jemma said you'd been talking about it. Figured we'd spend the weekend here," Coulson says, and she smiles, unbuckling her seatbelt and leaning forward, kissing first his cheek then May's.  
  
"Sounds like a perfect weekend to me," she answers, resting her chin on Coulson's shoulder. "Good thing we always keep Monopoly in this car because I am so kicking both of your asses."  
  
Melinda snorted, meeting her eyes in the mirror in amusement before she flicked them back to the road. "Yeah right, kid. No one beats me at Monopoly."  
  
"Oh you are _on_."


	12. Chapter 12

Daisy drops down onto the couch with a huff, and Melinda looks up from the report she's typing with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Can I help you?" she asks, and Daisy sighs dramatically, leaning over until her head was pillowed on Melinda's bicep.  
  
"I miss Coulson," she murmurs, and Melinda reaches her free hand up to stroke through Daisy's hair.  
  
"I know," she replied softly, shutting the laptop and letting Daisy curl into her side, resting her cheek on the top of her head. "I didn't think he'd be gone this long."  
  
"I can't eat cereal or take out for another meal," Daisy complains, and Melinda opens her mouth. "And no offense, but nothing you cook is edible."  
  
Melinda poked her side, but didn't argue.  
  
"It's strange," Daisy admitted in a small voice, and Melinda frowned, waiting for her to continue. "To have someone to miss when they're away."  
  
Melinda turned, pressing her lips to the top of Daisy's head. "I hope you know this is how we feel when you're gone."  
  
Daisy pressed her face into May's shoulder, cheeks flushing, and Melinda couldn't help the small smile.  
  
"Come on. I think between the two of us we can make that box of mac and cheese in the pantry," she says, nudging the younger woman up. They're in the process of bowling water when the door opens, and Phil walks in, tired and with two strips of bandage over his eye.  
  
"You're cooking? You must really be desperate," he cracks and smile, and Melinda rolls her eyes as Daisy walks over and hugs him, forehead pressed to his chest. Phil raises an eyebrow in question over her head at Melinda, and she shakes her head, giving him a soft smile.  
  
"I'm really glad you're home," Daisy mumbles into his shirt, and Phil holds her a little tighter, lips brushing the crown of his head.


	13. Chapter 13

Daisy can practically feel the chill in the apartment as she shuts the door behind her. She raises an eyebrow, looking at May and Coulson- they're on opposite ends of the couch, both angrily reading different files, though Daisy can tell both of them aren't really reading.

"Who turned the air conditioning on?" she asks, attempting humor- all she gets is annoyed glances, and she works hard not to roll her eyes. "I'm gonna go put my bag in my room, and look for some mittens, since it's frigid in here."

She leaves without another word, concerned as to what was wrong with the two of them. She'd never seen them fight, not since they'd gotten together, and definitely not since she'd been living with them at the apartment. It made her chest tight, and she pushed the feeling down, figuring they'll resolve it.

Dinner is nearly silent, clear tension between the two of them, and while they wait until she's in her room, she hears Coulson walk into the living room and settle on the couch to sleep. She doesn't sleep much- tosses and turns, brain cluttered with thoughts and emotions she hadn't felt in years.

Finally, in the morning, she can't take it.

"Fix it," she says, and they both look at her. "I don't care what you're fighting about, but fix it. You don't fight, you certainly don't sleep on the couch, and you don't ever not talk for this long. So, I'm going for a run. Have it fixed by the time I get back."

Daisy puts her headphones in without another word, leaving them staring at her. It feels good to pound the pavement- she circles the block a few times, and by the time her "Kickass" playlist Bobbi had made her is finished, she figures she's given them enough time.

Coulson is watching something on the History channel when she comes back, pouring herself a cup of juice, and she raises an eyebrow as she waits. Before he can speak, May walks out of their room, and Daisy gets her answer- she throws her words over her shoulder as she heads towards the shower.

"You missed a button, May."


	14. Chapter 14

May and Coulson are on the couch, watching a movie, when Daisy opens the door, locking it behind her as she drops her bag on the floor. Coulson pauses the movie, and May lifts her head from his chest, rubbing at her neck as Daisy settles in the armchair, yawning.

“Everything okay? We were expecting you this weekend,” Coulson says, and Daisy nods.

“Fitzsimmons took some vacation time and Mack’s off visiting Elena so the base is pretty sparse,” she answers. “I’m not interrupting any plans, am I?”

They raise simultaneous eyebrows at her, and Daisy laughs, shaking her head. “What’re you watching?”

“Baby Mama. We wanted a comedy and it’s playing on some local station,” Coulson answers as May settles back against him, and his finger starts tracing patterns on her arm lazily. Daisy settles back, watching, before she speaks.

“Have you thought about it?” she asks, and they both frown, looking at her. She swallows, shrugging towards the screen. “Having kids?”

She watches as they exchange a glance, both their eyes softening, and it’s May that answers.

“We’d like to have a baby,” her voice is impossibly soft, and Daisy’s chest warms. “But we’re older, and both of our bodies haven’t exactly been through ideal circumstances, so we don’t even know if it’s possible.”

“And our lives aren’t exactly child-friendly,” Coulson continues with a shrug as May twines her fingers through his, holding tight. “If it happens, we’ll be delighted. If it doesn’t- well, we’re lucky enough we have you. I think that’s more than enough for us.”

Daisy ducks her head at the heat that flashes behind her eyes, swallowing against the burn of tears before she lifts her gaze to look at them, propping her chin on her hand.

“Well, if it happens, your kid is gonna have a great big sister,” she tells them quietly, and the warm, affectionate smiles they give her are enough to make her eyes wet again. May pats the empty spot beside her, shifting closer to Coulson, and Daisy settles beside her, letting her wrap an arm around her and feeling her press a kiss to the top of her head.

Coulson’s hand is warm as it touches her shoulder, and she closes her eyes as the feeling of home settled around her.


	15. Chapter 15

Melinda is keyed up and pacing when they both enter the medbay- Daisy is leaning on Phil, bleeding from a cut across her forehead, and Phil’s shoulder is clearly dislocated. He offers her a pained smile as he helps Daisy sit on one of the beds, Jemma already attending to Daisy.

“It’s worse than it looks,” Daisy offers, and when she smiles, her teeth are stained red with blood, and she coughs, wincing.

“I should have come,” Melinda shakes her head, fingers gently running along Phil’s face and neck, brushing along the bruise already creeping up over his shoulder.

“And then be hurt too? It was better you were here, directing the op,” Phil shakes his head, groaning as Jemma probes at his shoulder, grimacing.

“It looks separated sir. I’m going to have to put it back in place. It’s going to hurt,” she tells him apologetically, and Phil’s lips twist into a pained smile.

“Survived death, Simmons. I can survive you popping my shoulder back into place,” the scientist gives him an affectionate eye roll before she meets Melinda’s gaze, and the older woman grasps his other shoulder, holding him in place as Jemma gets into position. There’s a crack, a pop, and Phil grunting, clearly in pain, before his entire body relaxes.

“Ice it, keep it in this sling for a few days, try not to lift anything heavy,” Jemma instructs, helping him tuck his arm into the sling, and he looks at it in disgust, clearly remembering the last time he’d used it. She turns to Daisy, fingers carefully brushing the tape holding the cut across her friend’s eyebrow. “And you- you’ve got a cracked rib, from the looks of the blood in your mouth and the bruising, so no fieldwork for a week, try not to use your powers too much, and get some sleep in a bed that is not one of the bunks.”

“Yes ma’am,” Daisy goes to mock salute, but only groans, and Melinda huffs.

“Alright, let’s go, we’re going home,” her tone brokers no argument, and she helps Daisy up, letting her lean on her as they all made their way to the garage. She sticks both Phil and Daisy in the back of the SUV and drives them back to the apartment, where she forces them both onto the couch. “Don’t move.”

Phil and Daisy exchange raised eyebrows, and Melinda returns a few minutes later with ice packs, glasses of water, and a bottle of Tylenol. After they’re painkillered up, she sits between them, arranging it so she had one arm around Phil, the other around Daisy, and as soon as they were settled, the tension left her body.

“Lin?” Phil asked, and she shook her head, gripping them both a little tighter.

“Just let me sit here for a minute,” her voice is a little hoarse, and Daisy’s fingers found hers, linking them together as Phil brushed a kiss over her collarbone. “Don’t scare me like that.”

Neither of them can answer- none of them can promise that in this line of work. So she holds them a little tighter, and they let her.


	16. Chapter 16

Melinda’s already on the bed, rubbing lotion onto her legs, when Phil closes the door behind him.

“Daisy asleep?” she asks, looking up- she’s in one of her rare nightgowns, a dark navy silk with white lace trim that sends a warm flush of heat down his spine. He nods, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it in the hamper before he shucks off his jeans, crawling up next to her, pressing a kiss to her jaw, nuzzling into her.

“You smell good,” he murmured, nipping at her pulse point, and she sighed, one hand coming up to scratch through his hair and hold him close.

She brought his mouth to hers, sinking back into the pillows and drawing him half on top of her, his forearms near her head and their chests brushing. It’s warm and comfortable, slowly starting to build, when there’s a tentative knock- they break apart, and Phil clears his throat as Melinda tells Daisy she can come in.

“I’m sorry, but- can I just sleep on your floor?” her voice is hoarse, and Melinda is more than familiar with the post-nightmare look in the girl’s eyes. She’s got a pillow and a blanket in her hands, and they both nod, sitting up. She gives them a tremulous half-smile before she shuts the door behind her- she settles on the floor, curling up in a ball next to the baseboard.

Melinda looks over at Phil, frowning- after only a moment, she takes her own pillow and settles next to Daisy on the floor in the dark. She places her hand on her shoulder, feeling it shake beneath her touch, and she carefully turns Daisy over until she’s facing her. Daisy barely resists, burying her face in Melinda’s shoulder, and she shushed her quietly, stroking through her short hair.

“I’ve got you,” she whispered, hugging Daisy. “You’re okay, I promise.”

Daisy sobs, shuddering, and Melinda holds her closer.


	17. Chapter 17

Melinda wakes at the feeling of the bed jolting- she frowns, blinking open sleep-crusted eyes to discover Phil disappearing into the bathroom, the light flicking on as the door shuts. There’s a pause before she hears the sounds of retching, and her heart twists in sympathy.

She goes into the medicine cabinet and pulls out some ibuprofen before she goes into the kitchen to fill a glass with cold water. She’s coming back down the hall when Daisy’s door opens, and she leans against the frame, rubbing her eyes.

“Everything okay?” she asks, sleepy, and Melinda shakes her head.

“Phil’s sick- I think he caught that bug that was going around base,” she replies softly, eyebrows knit together in concern.

“It’s after seven- I’ll get dressed and go pick up some soup and saltines, I don’t think we have any,” Daisy said, straightening up. “And I think we’re out of tissues. Anything else?”

“Grab some gatorade- he likes the blue kind,” Melinda tells her, and Daisy nods, lip quirking a little.

“Me too,” her reply draws a small smile from Melinda, and the older woman squeezes Daisy’s elbow before she heads back to the bedroom.

She knocks softly on the bathroom door before she enters, water and medicine in hand.

“Hey,” she murmurs softly, coming to sit beside Phil where he has his back against the wall, looking green.

“Hey,” he replies, voice hoarse, and she strokes her fingers over his knee.

“Think you can try to take some Motrin?” she asks, and he shrugs, taking the pills and water from her. “I knew you’d catch that bug from Lyons.”

“Small plane. Couldn’t help it,” he answers, taking the smallest sip possible of the water to get the pills down.

“Want to try getting back in bed? We can bring the bucket,” Melinda suggests, and Phil shakes his head.

“I don’t think moving is a good idea,” he tells her, moments before he’s leaning forward again, coughing. Melinda shifts to sit behind him, rubbing his back and murmuring soothingly.

When he finishes, Melinda reaches up, flushing, before she grabs a washcloth and soaks it in cool water, wringing it out and placing it over the back of his neck.

“We won’t move. We’ll sit right here,” she assures him, rubbing along his tense shoulders, kissing the back of his head. “Daisy’s getting some gatorade.”

“The blue kind?” he asks, and she hides her smile in his shoulder, nodding.

“Yeah. We’ll take care of you Phil, I promise,” she tells him. “We’ve got you.”


	18. Chapter 18

Lucas Morse-Hunter had everyone wrapped around his finger, including both Phil and Daisy- Bobbi and Hunter's son was in Phil's arms, gurgling up at Daisy as she made silly faces at him.

The rest of the team was scattered around the apartment- they'd managed to sneak Bobbi and Hunter into the apartment for a much-needed catch-up dinner after over eighteen months on the run. Bobbi was in the corner chatting with Bobbi while Hunter stood with Fitz and Mack, and Elena and Joey talked near the table, drinks in hand.

Melinda watched Phil, heart thumping in her chest at the way he watched the little boy, squirming and kicking and smiling in his arms. He was a natural, and she couldn't get over how good he looked with a child in his arms, tugging on his t-shirt with tiny little fists. The ache of want in her chest intensified, and she startled a little at the hand on her arm.

"Sorry May, didn't mean to sneak up on you," Hunter leans against the wall, offering her a beer- she takes it with a nod of thanks. "You know she wanted to name the baby after you, if it was a girl."

Melinda raises an eyebrow, lips parting in shock, and Hunter grins. "She knew you'd like that," he takes a drag of his beer. "So, you and the Bossman thought about it?"

She shrugs, thumb brushing along the lip of her beer bottle. Hunter watched her curiously, eyes squinting.

"Holy shit, you really have," surprise colors his face for a moment before sincerity settles across his features, and his touches her shoulder. "Listen, I say this with all the seriousness in my body- I think you two would make a great go of it, being parents. I hope it works out, May."

"Thank you, Hunter," Melinda replied, giving him a rare, soft half-smile before she clinks her bottle against his. She takes a drag before she sets it aside, and goes to sit beside Phil. "Alright, give me the kid, it's my turn."

Phil smiles, settling Lucas in her arms, kissing her jaw and wrapping an arm around her. She settled against him, stroking her fingers over his soft, chubby little cheek and smiling down at him.


	19. Chapter 19

The bar they stop at is a total dive, and Phil’s frowning as he steps out of the car.

“They came _here_?” Melinda laughs at his tone, and he trails after her as she opens the door. Daisy and Jemma are in a corner booth, giggling to themselves, and they both take a breath.

“MAY!” Daisy shouts, clearly past the point of volume control, and Melinda winces as she goes to help Jemma, who is still giggling, eyes nearly shut.

“Oh, you are not going to be a happy camper in the morning,” Melinda shakes her head as she helps Jemma stand, wrapping the younger woman’s arm around her shoulders to keep her steady. Phil attended to Daisy, pulling the grinning, swaying woman up, propping her up.

“You’re pretty,” Jemma looks at her, squinting, face inches from her, and Melinda’s smile is soft.

“You are very drunk,” she replies, and Jemma shakes her head, reaching her free hand up to poke Melinda’s cheek in what she probably meant to be gentle, but is anything but.

“He’s lucky. You’re stunning,” Jemma points at Phil, who’s struggling to hold a jittery Daisy. He looks up, raising an eyebrow.

“I am well aware I’m dating out of my league,” he replies, and Melinda snorts, shaking her head affectionately.

“Come on, let’s get them home before they’re totally passed out,” she replies, and Phil nods, following behind her as she guides Jemma towards the door. With a little maneuvering, they get them both settled in the backseat, and Phil starts to drive back to the department to the two of them attempting to sing along to some pop song on the radio, and giggling every time they got the lyrics wrong.

They fall asleep about five minutes from the apartment, and Phil groans when he looks in the rearview to find Daisy snoring against Jemma’s shoulder, who looks like she’s on the bring of sleep, but rouses when Melinda shakes her gently.

Phil, however, has to heft Daisy up- she manages to settle when he carries her bridal style, and Melinda chuckles to herself as she leads the way, Jemma leaning heavily on her.

“Drunken, passed out daughters are pretty heavy, hm?” she teases, unlocking the door to the apartment and following Phil in- he settles Daisy on her bed, and Jemma crawls in moments later, burying her face in the pillow as Melinda flicked off the light.

“Should we put them in pajamas?” Phil asks, and Melinda shakes her head, pushing him backwards down the hall, slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt.

“They’ll wake up in a few hours and want out of those jeans themselves and it will be much less embarrassing for them to do it themselves than to realize Mom changed them while they were passed out,” she tells him, and he nods, shutting the bedroom door behind them, bending to kiss her. “So, want to act like we’re still 25?”

Phil laughs, tugging her back to the bed as she smiles into his skin.


	20. Chapter 20

She’s messing around on her laptop when she hears the crack of a window being opened, and frowns, because May and Coulson are out getting pizza for dinner and no one else is in the apartment.

She stands up, grabbing the gun from the drawer in the coffee table, raising it as she goes to May and Coulson’s bedroom, where the noise had emanated from. She pushes the door open, and her eyes widen at the figure straightening up in front of her.

“Holy shit you’re Black Widow,” she can’t help the way she gapes at the redhead, who looks her up and down with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re not May or Coulson,” she replies, and Daisy finally closes her mouth.

“Nope. Adopted kid. Daisy,” she points to herself, and Natasha’s eyebrows rise into her hairline. “Normally people use the front door when they come visit.”

“I was searching for Mel on the internet, wanted to come say hi, when I stumbled upon the lease for this apartment and Coulson’s name is on it,” she answered, following Daisy out into the living room. “Imagine my shock when I realized he wasn’t dead.”

“Yeah, there’s a whole alien thing, giant scar, probably a little untreated PTSD from the shock of being violently brought back to life against his will,” Daisy replies, and Natasha blinks. They’re standing there, staring at each other, when the door opens- Coulson walks in, pizza in hand, and May is right behind him, a liter of soda and a box of wings in her hands.

They both look up, shock crossing their faces as they register their guest.

“Nat. Long time no see,” Phil says slowly, setting the pizza box on the kitchen counter.

“I could say the same Coulson,” Natasha replies, before she turns her head, smiling at Melinda. “Hey May. Finally locked this guy down, I see.”

“Took me long enough,” May answers, setting the soda down. “Want some pizza? We got extra pepperoni.”

Natasha nods, shedding her jacket.

“So. Wanna tell me when you picked up the kid?”


	21. Chapter 21

“Oh crap, I forgot the bags in the trunk,” Daisy groans just as Phil goes to open the door to the apartment, and Melinda rolls her eyes.

“I’ll help, come on,” she said, giving Phil the bag in her hands and kissing his cheek before she followed Daisy back down the hall to the parking lot. Phil shakes his head fondly as he finishes unlocking the door, stepping into the apartment. He frowns, setting the bags down- something feels off, and he turns, searching-

“Nice digs, Coulson,” Fury’s voice easily takes ten years off his life, and Phil closes his eyes.

“A warning postcard would have been nice, sir,” he replies, picking the bags up and moving them to the counter, beginning to unpack them and put the food away.

“Ah, takes the fun out of everything,” Fury answers, getting out of the chair.

“Still sporting the hobo look, I see,” Phil raises an eyebrow, and Fury shrugs, folding his arms over his chest.

“Lost the suits, I see,” he countered, and Phil shrugged. The door opened again as Melinda and Daisy walked in, and Melinda raised an eyebrow as Daisy’s lips parted.

“Fury,” Melinda said, bringing the bags in her arms over to the counter. “You forget how to call ahead?”

“Domesticity has only strengthened the mental link between you two, hasn’t it?” he asked, and Daisy snorts. Fury turns around, looking her up and down, before he looks back at the two of them. “How’d you keep that from me?”

They both looked up at his words, confused. “Keep what?”

“You two having a kid. Did I miss something, when you were partners? Did dying make me blank on a few years?” Fury asks, and Daisy snorts, settling at the breakfast bar.

“Not biologically theirs,” she sing-songs, and Fury raises an eyebrow, visible even with his eye patch. “Thanks for thinking so, though.”

Melinda smirks, going to put the milk in the fridge, and Fury rolls his eye as Phil laughs.


	22. Chapter 22

“What…the hell,” Melinda looks up at Phil’s voice as he enters the apartment.

“So we have a puppy,” she tells him, gesturing to the ball of golden fur in her lap, squirming around. Said puppy ‘arfs’ softly at Phil, panting and wagging her tail.

“I left for a day,” Phil replies, shrugging out of his jacket and putting his keys in the dish, groaning as he got to his knees beside her, letting the puppy climb into his lap.

“Her name is Carter,” Melinda tells him, and he smiles at her, scratching behind the puppy’s ears.

“She’s very cute, but I didn’t realize we were getting a pet,” Phil raises an eyebrow, and Melinda shrugs, scratching Carter’s belly as she flopped onto her back, paws splayed.

“Well, I think she’ll be good practice,” Melinda tells him, and Phil rubs one of Carter’s ears as he looks at Melinda, frowning.

“Practice?” he asks, clearly confused, and Melinda smiles softly at him.

“For when we have a baby,” she replies as she slides a small plastic bag out of her pocket, handing it to him. “In about seven months.”

Phil’s lips part, and his hand shakes as he takes the bag containing the test, looking up at her with blue eyes shimmering with tears. “Mel?”

She just nods, tears in her own eyes, and Phil’s beaming as he leans over, kissing her as Melinda’s hand rises to cup his cheek. They part, laughing, when Carter nudges at them, whining softly and pawing at their faces until they both pet her again.

“I want to wait just a little, until we tell Daisy,” Melinda murmurs as Carter curls up with her head in her lap, flopping down on the carpet. “Just to be safe.”

Phil kisses her head, holding her a little tighter as an answer, nodding against her.

“C’mon. Let’s go cuddle in bed,” he murmurs, and Melinda nodded, scooping Carter up and kissing her head, the sleepy puppy nuzzling into her. Phil wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned up, kissing him again as Carter settled between them. “I love you.”

Melinda kissed his shoulder, smiling.


	23. Chapter 23

“Daisy, don’t!” She can hear Coulson yelling through comms, but she runs back into the collapsing building anyway- she blasts at a falling rock, watching it crumble before her, before she heads down the hall. She finds Piper half-hidden in rubble, and manages to pick the unconscious agent up, hefting her in her arms and dodging another falling wall as she heads back towards the entrance.

She manages to get out just as the rest of the building falls in on itself, and Mack and Jones come to take Piper from her, bringing her to the med truck where Jemma’s waiting. Daisy bends over, hands on her knees as she struggles to catch her breath, lungs heavy with dust. She’s straightening up when she sees Coulson and May heading her way.

She prepares herself to be yelled at, so when instead two arms wrap around her, hugging her tightly, she gasps, caught off guard.

“Are you okay?” Coulson pulls back to look at her, scanning her up and down as May grips her forearm tightly, worry creasing both of their faces as Daisy’s lips part.

“I’m- I’m fine,” she replies, voice hoarse with the dust, and May hands her a bottle of water as Coulson gently touches the skin around a cut over her eye that’s bleeding.

“I’ll go get Jemma,” May says, squeezing Daisy’s arm once more before she goes to find the scientist, and Coulson guides Daisy over to sit against the back of an SUV, making her drink more water.

“I thought you’d be mad. Or disappointed,” she says after a moment, and Coulson looks up at her, forehead creasing. “You told me not to go in.”

“You got Piper out, and you’re okay. I worry about you, but I know you’re capable,” Coulson’s hand is soft as it touches her cheek, and Daisy ducks her head. His finger is soft under her chin until she looks at him, and he simply smiles at her. “You could never do anything to disappoint me, okay? You make me proud every single day.”

“Thanks,” Daisy whispers, lower lip trembling as she smiled, and Phil reached up, hugging her tightly as she buried her face in his shield jacket.

“Always, kid,” he whispers back, and she clutches him just a little tighter.


	24. Chapter 24

The door slams, and she knows what’s coming as soon as Phil enters the apartment. She continues reading her book, feeling the heat of his glare.

“You’re staying in the field?” he asks, voice hard, and she slowly closes her book, setting it aside as she looks at him.

“For the next few months, yes,” she replies. “I’m only at ten weeks, Phil. There’s no reason I can’t be in the field for at least another two months, if not more.”

“What if you get hurt?” he demands, and his hands are shaking in his effort to stay calm. “What if I have to go on the Zephyr again? What if you get captured?”

“I can’t just sit around for the next seven months!” she cries out, standing. “Being pregnant doesn’t mean I can stop being an agent.”

“I’m not asking you to stop- I would never do that. You can’t even pause?” he asks. “God will the job ever not come first? Ever? Will this always be second to you? Even our family?”

“How can you even…” Melinda starts, voice soft, and Phil’s fist clench as he looks away.

“I can’t be here,” Phil’s voice cracks, and Melinda stays rooted to her spot as he picks his keys up- she flinches as the door slams behind him, her hand dropping to cover her stomach as she closed her eyes.


	25. Chapter 25

The door shuts behind Daisy, though the silence remains as they both shift uncomfortably. Finally, they both take a breath.

“I’m sor-”

“Phil, we-”

They both start to talk at the same time, interrupting each other, and they both manage to crack a smile. “You go,” Melinda murmurs, and Phil takes another breath, turning towards her.

“I’m sorry,” he starts. “I let my emotions get the best of me, and I yelled when I should have listened.”

He sighs softly, scrubbing at his chin. “I never thought we would have this chance- to be parents, or have a baby, or even just be together. And I…I worry, that something’s going to happen, and you’re going to be ripped from me again, and that thought makes my chest cave in.”

Melinda moves across the couch to settle beside him, taking his hand in hers and stroking his knuckles.

“I’m sorry too,” she murmured. “I should have talked to you about staying in the field, and how I’ve been feeling about being pregnant and still being an agent.”

Phil’s hand cupped her jaw, brushing along the dark circle under her eye. Neither of them had slept well, with Phil on the couch and Melinda alone in the too-big bed. He leaned forward, touching their foreheads together, and they both sighed in relief at the contact.

“I’ll only stay in the field until I’m at fifteen weeks,” she tells him. “I won’t go on any high risk missions, I’ll ask to do paperwork or training while you’re gone, and we can tell the team and Mace now so that if something happens and you aren’t here, our family will be there.”

Phil nods, the tension in his shoulders loosening, and Melinda guides his hand to rest over her unchanged abdomen, stroking his fingers.

“I love you,” he whispers, and Melinda smiles, stroking his face and drawing his mouth down to hers.

“I love you too,” she replies softly, guiding his fingers to the top button of her shirt.

“Not on the couch, not with Daisy,” Phil pants, and she nods, tugging him up and pulling him backwards down the hall, kissing him until he picked her up, drawing a giggle from her as he kicked their bedroom door shut behind them.


	26. Chapter 26

“How did you fit all of these in the closet?” Melinda looks perplexed by the sheer number of records spread out over the floor of the office, curled up in the desk chair, chin on her knee. Her nausea had subsided after a morning spent in bed, cold washcloth pressed to the back of her neck and head on Phil’s chest.

“A lot of careful stacking,” he replies, carefully picking up a Beatles record and putting it on the rack.

“This is boring,” Melinda complains after a moment, sitting back in the chair and rubbing at the lower part of her stomach- she wasn’t showing, much, beyond a small curve that only Phil ever saw when she was naked, and her doctor had told them she may not show until she was past five months, because of her small frame and muscular abdomen. Phil looked up at her over the rim of his glasses, and she sighed, raising one arm over her head, shirt riding up and showing a strip of skin. “Fine- fine! Just do what you have to do.”

“I am. Can you stop being so god damn cute? I’m trying to concentrate,” he tells her, returning to the records and selecting another one to place on the rack. Melinda watches, fondness in her gaze as he works, arms moving under the sleeves of his t-shirt.

He’s cleaned up most of the floor when he pauses, a record in his hands and a smile sliding onto his face as he goes over to the player- he carefully sets it up, placing the record down and then laying the needle in the groove. There’s a scratch and a pause, and then the soft strum of a guitar.

Phil holds out his hand, smile soft, and Melinda rolls her eyes but unfolds herself from the chair, letting him pull her to her feet and into, arm wrapping around her waist. Elvis sings softly in the background as they twirl slowly around the room. Melinda nestles into his chest, sighing as she nuzzled her nose into the collar of his shirt, inhaling.

“I think the baby likes it,” she murmurs, feeling Phil clutch her a little closer. Elvis hums about falling in love as they spin again, Melinda’s hands cupping his head as he looked down at her, blue eyes dark and warm and deep as they look down at her, drawing a soft smile from her.

“Practicing?” they both look up at Daisy’s voice, finding her leaning against the door frame, a bruise on her cheekbone but lips curled into a smile.

“Practicing?” Phil asks, raising an eyebrow, and Daisy nods, pushing off the wood and straightening, picking her bag up.

“For the inevitable wedding,” she smirks before she disappears. “Play some Pearl Jam!”

Phil laughs out loud, but goes to his collection, finding the record and putting it on. There’s a catch before Brain of J starts, and Melinda shakes her head fondly, hand on her belly.

“Of course she likes this,” she looks down, thumb stroking. “This is what I get for carrying your kid.”

Phil grinned, sinking to his knees and cupping the tiny swell, leaning forward to kiss her through her shirt. “Good pick, kid.”

Melinda carded her hand through his thinning hair, face soft with affection and contentment as they listened to the thud of Daisy’s boots against hardwood, signalling her dance moves.


	27. Chapter 27

She knows something is up by the dinner spread Coulson lays out before her- Daisy raises an eyebrow, taking the beer he offers her.

“This is…really nice, for a Wednesday night dinner,” she starts, and Coulson isn’t able to hide the flush that creeps up his neck, and even May can’t help the smile that plays around her lips. Something about her is softer, somehow- Daisy can’t put her finger on it, but there’s something different about the older woman. “So what’s up? You’re obviously buttering me up for something.”

“Well…” Coulson starts, looking at May, and somehow, Daisy knows what she says before she says it.

“I hope you don’t mind sharing a room,” she starts, voice soft and lips curving into a smile. “Because in about six months you’ll have to.”

Daisy’s jaw drops as she looks between the two of them, and at their twin, tiny nods, bursts into a grin, rounding the table and wrapping May in a tight, slightly awkward hug from her standing position.

“Oh my god, you guys, I’m so happy for you,” she buries her face in Coulson’s neck, hugging him tightly, before rounding back to the table. “So you’re due in September?”

“September 4th,” May confirms, Coulson catching her hand and linking their fingers together. Daisy smiled, soft. She laughs after a moment, and May looks at her, questioning.

“You know, I used to dread conversations like this,” she confesses after a moment, and they both sit forward a little. “Every foster kid’s nightmare is when they get sat down and told that they were going to a new house because their foster parents were having their own kid.”

She clears her throat, shifting in her seat a little.

“It happened four times to me,” she answers their unasked question, shrugging her shoulder helplessly. May frowns, sitting forward until she can cover Daisy’s hands in her own and squeezing gently.

“You know we love you,” they don’t often use the words out loud, but Daisy knows they mean it, and they mean it fiercely. Hearing it spoken, though, sends warmth through her chest. “Just because I didn’t give birth to you doesn’t mean you don’t mean just as much to us as this baby does, Daisy.”

“I know,” she tells them softly, turning her hand over and squeezing May’s hand in a firm grasp. “And I really, truly am happy for you, and I can’t wait to meet this kid. I just…I like, sharing parts of my past with you. It feels safe.”

Coulson leans forward now, and she extends her free hand so he can take it, his blue eyes dark and impossibly soft as they look at her. A small part of her heart feels less dark- less like her broken past has to define how her future looks, and she smiles at the two of them.

“Let’s eat,” she suggests, squeezing both their hands before they all withdrew, tucking into dinner. “So, Daisy is a great name.”

They both snort, and Daisy grins as she picks up her beer.


	28. Chapter 28

They’re watching television- some inane comedy neither of them are really paying attention to, Phil’s hands running through Melinda’s hair as she pressed her cheek against his chest. It’d been a long week- Mack had been hurt on a mission following Fitzsimmons being out of commission with the flu, and the rest of the team had been working overtime to account for their absence.

“Do you ever wish I talked more?” Phil frowned at Melinda’s question, the motion of his hand stopping as he pulled back to see her face. She kept her eyes trained on the television, though she’d stopped watching ages ago.

“Mel?” he asks, and she swallows.

“I know it can’t be easy, being with me,” her voice is soft, and her fingers unconsciously tighten in his shirt. “I’m not who I was ten years ago. Words are...words are harder for me to express than they used to be.”

“I know that,” Phil’s reply is equally as soft, and he touches her shoulder gently. “It’s never mattered to me. I love you any way you are.”

Melinda closed her eyes, taking a breath.

“Where is this coming from?” he asked quietly, fingers stroking her neck with soft, soothing motions. She’s silent for a moment before she speaks.

“It’s so easy for other women to smile, and flirt- Agent Andrews certainly likes you,” she tells him, and her voice is soft- almost ashamed. “I just...wonder if you ever wish I was different. Not...this.”

Phil sits up entirely, and waits until she’s straightened up too before he tilts her chin up until she looks at him.

“I have never, and will never, want you to be anything but who you are,” he starts, voice soft but firm. “You’ve never needed words to express your feelings, Melinda. I love that about you. I’ve never doubted that you love me, not once.”

Melinda’s hand slid over his heart, swallowing hard.

“I just want you to know that I love you,” the words come out slow, and Phil’s hand is soft as it cups her cheek. “I know we don’t...talk about the robot, or what happened, but you’re everything to me too, Phil. You always will be.”

She’s stopped from saying anything else by Phil’s mouth on hers, and she sighs, sinking into the kiss. She’s never doubted this- Phil had always been able to pour all of his affection into a kiss, his hands soft and warm on her body, pulling her closer. Melinda scratched her nails through hte hair at the base of his skull, nipping at his lower lip.

“Let’s go to bed,” she pants against his mouth, stroking over his chest. Phil nods, eyes heavy-lidded as he looks at her and heat settles in her stomach.

Sometimes, words weren’t necessary.


	29. Chapter 29

The sun is already up when Melinda stirs; Phil presses a kiss to her bare shoulder, hand skimming down her side as he cuddled in closer.

“You slept in,” his voice is low and rough, and she shivers, pressing back against him.

“You kept me up,” she murmurs back, feeling his teeth graze her pulse point as she shifted onto her back, Phil hovering over her. “Good morning.”

Phil hums as he bends to kiss her, and Melinda’s hand comes up to cup the back of his head, sighing against his mouth. She strokes his cheek when they part, brushing along the weekend stubble he’d started to favor.

“We’re going to have two very unhappy, hungover girls on our hands soon enough,” she tells him, and he rolls off her with a groan as she laughs, sliding out from the sheets and pulling on one of Phil’s faded Clippers shirts and a pair of leggings. She kisses his shoulder as she comes to brush her teeth, and when he leaves she knows he’s going to heat the water for her tea.

She peeks in on Daisy and Jemma- the two are a tangle of covers and limbs, two heads peeking out but not moving- so she keeps going, finding Phil mixing waffle batter with the kettle heating on the stove. “They are still pretty out.”

“I’m not surprised, they were pretty plastered,” Phil answers, heating up the griddle. “Water’s heating up.”

“I’ll grab the paper,” she tells him, shoving her feet into a pair of flip flops and flipping the lock- thankfully she doesn’t run into anyone on the way to the lobby. She grabs the paper shoved in their mail slot, and she’s turning to head back to the apartment when she hears her name.

“Hey,” one of their neighbors, Hillary, waves as she scoops up her own paper. “You and Phil were out pretty late last night- your daughter?”

“She and a friend got drunk, needed a designated driver,” Melinda answers, unable to stop the fond twitch of her lips.

“I remember when mine was that age,” a look of affection crossing her neighbor’s face. “Now she has two kids and a house in the suburbs. Any grandkids?”

“Not yet,” Melinda says, shrugging. “But, hopefully some day.”

“Well, have a nice weekend, tell Phil I said hello,” Hillary smiles, and Melinda nods, slipping back into the apartment and wrinkling her nose at the sound of retching.

“They’re up,” Phil tells her unnecessarily, and she sets the paper down.

“I’ll go grab some aspirin,” she replies, kissing his cheek and stealing a piece of waffle before she heads for the sound- and as she grew closer, smell- of vomit. “Remember, you _wanted_ to be a mom.”


	30. Chapter 30

“Don’t drink the punch. Someone poured what must have been an entire bottle of vodka into it,” Melinda looks up at Phil’s soft voice, and she discreetly hands him her cup. They hadn’t told anyone about her pregnancy save for Daisy, too nervous something would go wrong, and until she’d passed her first trimester, wanted to wait.

“I see that hasn’t stopped Daisy,” she nods in the younger woman’s direction, amusement in her tone. Daisy was talking animatedly to Fitz and Jemma, who were looking hazy-eyed from vodka from themselves.

“Think we can duck out yet? We’ve made the rounds, congratulated Mace on the award from the President,” Phil sounded ready to leave- a strained shoulder from a case earlier in the weak left him eager to get home and out of his suit.

“Yeah. Let’s collect Daisy and leave,” she strokes his forearm lightly before leading the way over to the kids. “Daisy, it’s time to go home.”

“Mom! I mean May. May- we’re going home?” Daisy’s eyebrows contract as she speaks, words tumbling out of her mouth, and Melinda can’t deny the stutter in her heart at the first word.

“It’s getting late,” Phil answers, and Jemma touches Daisy’s shoulder.

“We should be getting home soon too,” though she sways a little, and Fitz catches her by the waist. “Or we’ll sleep here. That sounds like a plan.”

Melinda smiles softly, kissing Jemma’s cheek and wrapping an arm around Daisy’s waist. “Goodnight, Jemma. Fitz. We’ll see you on Monday.”

“Night, May,” Fitz gives her a soft, warm smile, Jemma leaning into his side as she waves goodbye to them. Phil’s hand falls to her lower back, guiding her through the throngs of people to the exit, Daisy humming under her breath and leaning into Melinda.

“I can’t drive home,” Daisy’s eyebrows crinkle together adorably, and Melinda chuckles.

“You’re not going to,” she answers, helping Daisy into the backseat where she sprawled out, head against the window. Phil got into the passenger seat as Melinda got into the driver’s seat, starting the SUV and heading for home. Phil’s hand ended up resting on Melinda’s thigh as they drove, and Daisy sighed happily.

“I’m happy you guys are having a baby,” she tells them, drowsily lifting her head and smiling. Melinda pulled into their parking spot, shutting the car off. “Because you guys are really good parents.”

Melinda’s lips twitch into a smile as she gets out of the car, moving to help Daisy- the younger woman stumbled a little and Melinda caught her, righting her as Phil held the door to the complex open for them. Daisy giggled, pecking his cheek as they passed him, and Phil shook his head, bemused.

“Come on, don’t sleep on me yet,” Melinda prodded at Daisy as Phil unlocked the door, and Daisy sighed sleepily, snuggling into her neck joint. “Dais, come on.”

“Mooooom,” Daisy draws the middle syllable out, nuzzling into her. “I’m tired. Can we sleep now?”

“Yeah, honey, you can sleep soon,” Melinda tells her gently, nudging her down the hall. “Pajamas?”

Daisy shook her head, just undoing the button of her jeans and shoving them off before sliding under the covers, nuzzling into her pillow. “I like living with you and Dad. Coulson. May and Dad. Mom and Coulson.”

“We like having you here,” Melinda assures her softly, stroking her hair back and kissing her forehead. “Get some sleep.”

“Love you,” it’s more a sigh than a whisper, but warmth floods Melinda’s chest as Daisy’s breathing evened out. She kisses Daisy’s forehead again, smoothing the covers before she slips out of Daisy’s room, finding Phil waiting outside, a soft smile playing around his lips.

“They should have renamed the punch Truth Serum,” he teases her gently, and Melinda shakes her head fondly, palms smoothing down his chest.

“I love you,” she answers simply, rising on her tiptoes and kissing him, tugging at his lower lip gently before she sank back onto her heels. “Let’s go to bed.”


	31. Chapter 31

“So there’s a surprise inside,” Daisy’s eyes widen at Melinda’s words, and Melinda can’t help but laugh softly as she unlocks the door. Daisy follows her inside and gasps.

“A puppy?!?” she exclaims, looking between Melinda and Phil as Carter squirms in Phil’s arms- she’s nearly vibrating in excitement.

“This is Carter,” Phil tells her and Daisy kneels on the ground as he sets the puppy down and she scrambles her way over to Daisy. She licks over her entire face, drawing laughter from Daisy. “She’s a licker.”

“I can see that,” Daisy laughs, holding Carter to her as she squirms in her lap, golden fur brushing against her leather jacket. “She’s the cutest thing in the entire world.”

Melinda settles next to her, and Carter jumps between the two of them, barking happily and rolling onto her back and showcasing her belly. “So why’d you guys get a puppy?”

“It’s lonely without you here,” Phil answers with a shrug, sliding down until he’s on the ground as well, rubbing Carter’s belly as the puppy drowsed. Daisy flushed, ducking her head.

“Is she named after Peggy?” she asks, and they both nod. “It’s a good name.”

Carter gives a sleepy little snuffle, nuzzling her head into Daisy’s ankle until Daisy stroked the top of her head with light fingers. Daisy smiled, petting her.

“Look how domestic you two are,” she teases, looking up at them- Melinda had shifted so her head was pillowed on Phil’s shoulder, his fingers stroking her waist. Melinda rolled her eyes, but didn’t shift her position, and Phil brushed a kiss against her forehead as Carter shifted sleepily against her feet.

“It’s home,” Phil answers after a moment, and Daisy beams.


	32. Chapter 32

“Support his head- there you go, like that,” Phil instructed Daisy carefully as he settled Lucas in her arms. She looked vaguely terrified of the small infant she was holding- she’d admitted to having zero experience around babies, so when Bobbi contacted Melinda about needing them to watch Lucas for a weekend, she’d had Daisy come over.

“He’s squirmy,” Daisy says with a laugh as the little boy wriggles around, getting comfortable. He finally settled down, sighing with an air of almost-annoyance, and she snorts. “Oh, he so gets that from Hunter.”

Phil laughs, leaning back on the couch, and Melinda settled beside him, hand rubbing his shoulder lightly as they both watched Daisy.

“See? I told you you’d be a natural,” Melinda teased affectionately- Daisy rolled her eyes, stroking her fingers over Lucas’ waving fist. He gurgled, kicking his feet and squirming some more, grunting when Daisy shifted him a little. “He is going to be a handful when he gets older.”

“He’s a handful now,” Daisy remarked, shifting the little boy again until he was nestled on her shoulder, face buried in her neck as he snuffled, getting comfortable. Melinda smirked, fingers trailing to settle against Phil’s neck as his hand rested against her thigh, and Daisy couldn’t help the upward twitch of her lips. “So, getting any closer to telling the others you’re having one of these?”

They exchanged a look, and Melinda’s smile softened as she nodded.

“We figured we’d do dinner next week, tell everyone,” she replies, and Daisy beams. “Since we found our we’re having a girl at the last appointment.”

Daisy’s lips part, eyes lighting up as she looks between them. “Are you serious?”

Melinda nodded, reaching over to dig through her bag until she can pull out the sonogram- she carefully took Lucas as Daisy took the picture, smiling at the little boy. He gurgled back, almost a giggle, and she carefully wiped the drool away from his mouth with a cloth before she sat back against Phil, cradling Lucas close.

“She’s gonna be perfect,” Daisy says when she looks up, positively grinning, and Melinda swallows hard against the sudden burn in her eyes, ducking her head as Phil kisses her hair knowingly. “I say we take pictures of Lucas in ridiculous outfits. What’s the point of babysitting Hunter’s kid without getting him into a cowboy hat?”

Melinda snorted but nodded, stroking Lucas’ cheek before she leaned forward, kissing Phil softly as Daisy went to grab her phone.

“I love you,” she murmured, feeling him smile against her mouth, kissing her again.

“I know,” he whispered back before he took Lucas from her and stood carefully. “Now let’s go play dress up with our grandson.”


	33. Chapter 33

“I have a briefing with Mace but I’ll be free after to train, if you want,” Daisy tells Melinda, who nods and smiles at the girl- Daisy beams, surging forward to kiss her cheek quickly before she heads for Mace’s office. Melinda shakes her head fondly, closing the file in her hands and heading for the kitchen to make a cup of tea and start to write up her report for a recent mission.

She pauses in the doorway- Phil is by the coffee maker, clearly waiting for it to finish brewing, and chatting with a pretty blonde agent Melinda recognizes from a few briefings, Agent Ashley Andrews. She was cute, and half their age- a good agent, from what she can remember, on the fast track through SHIELD’s ranks, despite the change from levels to colors.

A loud laugh cuts through the room, and Melinda’s eyebrows knit together as she watches Ashley chatting away with Phil. He seemed to be listening intently as he pours coffee into the grumpy cat mug he’d apparently claimed for himself, and something in Melinda’s chest twists a tiny bit. He replies back, to quiet for her to hear, and she swallows.

She knew she didn’t talk. She preferred action to words, even if it had become easier to express her feelings over the recent weeks. Logically, she also knew the people who cared about her- the family that loved her- didn’t expect her to change who she was.

That didn’t mean she didn’t wonder what would change if she was the person she had been before Bahrain.

Shaking herself, she walks into the room- Phil looks up at the sound of her footsteps, face creasing into a genuine smile at the sight of her. The pit of her stomach warmed, and she touched his elbow gently as she went to turn the kettle on, heating water for her tea.

“I’ll leave you to it. Nice to see you, Agent May,” Agent Andrews said, smiling brightly at her before she headed off, leaving them alone. Phil’s hand slid to her lower back, kissing her neck lightly before moving away, adding more sugar to his coffee.

“Good day?” he asked, and Melinda nodded, leaning back against the counter.

“A couple of meetings, and a training session with some new recruits. Daisy wants to spar later,” she answers, pulling a purple mug from the cabinet. “You?”

“Piper kicked my ass on the mats earlier,” he tells her, and she snorts, smirking at him as he rolled his eyes. “Yeah, laugh it up. Old man needs to train some more.”

“I mean, we could always get the mats out. Relive the old days,” she teases, pouring hot water into her mug and adding a tea bag.

“There are easier ways to get me onto my back, you know,” he replies, voice low, and she rolls her eyes despite the heat that rises in her cheeks.

“Save that for home, Agent Coulson,” she replies lightly, touching his chest with a fingertip before she brushed past him to settle at the conference table, opening her file. Phil laughed, low and deep, and she pushed the thoughts from earlier away. It didn’t matter- not when Phil smiled at her like that, warm and bright and undoubtedly in love.

 

 


	34. Chapter 34

"You are both hovering," Daisy complains, shooing both Phil and Melinda away from where she had commandeered the stove. "I can cook a little bit, you know."

"Tell that to the smoke alarm that went off last week," Phil teased, and Daisy glared, taking a drag from he beer.

"That's because she distracted me!" she exclaimed, and Melinda smirked, shaking her head. "Listen, I can never say no to beating your ass at Call of Duty."

"And that's why you burned your toast," Phil told her, and Daisy scoffed, stirring the sauce before she lowers the heat, and adds in the peppers she'd been cooking in another pan with some chicken. "This smells good."

"Don't sound so shocked," Melinda nudged him, taking a sip of her water.

"Yeah, it's like you have no faith in me," Daisy grins to show she's kidding, plating the food and putting it in front of them with a flourish.

"It really looks good Dais," Phil says, raising his beer to her, and Melinda echoed the sentiment before they dug in, Daisy settling beside Melinda with her own plate.

"Good thing you didn't inherit my cooking skills," Melinda teased, and Daisy rolled her eyes.

"Alright, shut up and eat."


	35. Chapter 35

The bed is empty when Melinda wakes up, and she frowns- Phil always slept in on Sundays, content to curl up with her until they absolutely had to get out of bed.

She pulls on her robe and heads down the hallway- the sound of Phil and Daisy’s voices drift in from the kitchen. When she enters the living room, the smell of french toast and bacon hits her, and her family is in the kitchen, Phil laughing at something Daisy had said.

“You both know it’s 7 am on a Sunday, right?” she asks, amused, and they both look up. Daisy’s face cracks into a grin, and she brushes her hair out of her face, leaving a streak of cinnamon sugar across her forehead.

“Happy Mother’s Day, May!” she says, beaming at her, and Melinda’s heart twists just a little bit. “We got up early so we could make you breakfast, since you rise with the sun like a weirdo.”

That brings a smile to Melinda’s lips, and Phil’s arm wraps around her waist as he kisses her softly, smiling.

“You didn’t have to do this,” she starts as Daisy wraps her in a hug, squeezing tightly and holding on for a moment, face buried in her neck.

“Of course we did. It’s Mother’s Day. You’re my mom. We’re celebrating,” Daisy states just as the kettle whistles, and she goes to fill a mug up. Melinda swallows, heart beating in her ears- it’s the first time Daisy has called her her mother so plainly without the aid of alcohol, and she has to fight to stop the smile that’s threatening to burst fourth.

“Fitz and Simmons said they’d be over later, along with Mack and Elena,” Phil tells her as he plates a few more pieces of french toast, and Daisy guides her to the table, sitting her down with a mug of tea.

“And Robbie’s coming for dinner too,” Daisy adds, grabbing the syrup from the cabinet before joining Melinda as Phil sets the plates of food down.

“Breakfast and dinner?” Melinda asks, raising an eyebrow, and they both nod.

“And dinner with your parents at 1. They flew in last night,” Phil replies, and Melinda’s eyes widen.

“You called my parents?” she asked, and Daisy nodded vigorously.

“They were excited to surprise you. Your dad is really cool,” she tells her, and Melinda smiles, picking up her tea. “And we got you something.”

She turns, pulling out a slim, gold paper-wrapped box, and nervously slides it over to her. Melinda picks it up, looking between Phil and Daisy before she tears into the wrapping, revealing an black, rectangular jewelry box.

Opening it, she reveals a small silver heart on a chain, and inside the heart are two gems- a small ruby, and a small sapphire. She looks up, and Daisy offers a soft smile.

“I know you’re not much of a jewelry person but...it’s a family necklace. It has my birthstone, and my little sister’s,” she tells her, dark eyes shimmering- a mirror to Melinda’s as she lifts the necklace with shaking fingers. “You don’t have to wear it- if you don’t want to.”

“Come over here and help me put it on,” Melinda answers, holding the two halves of the chain, and Daisy chuckles damply as she stands, coming to help her shut the clasp. Once it was settled around her neck, Melinda stood and wrapped Daisy in a tight hug that the younger woman returned instantly, clutching her as close as was allowed by the newly-prominent curve of Melinda’s belly allowed. “It’s perfect.”

She looks at Phil over Daisy’s shoulder, finding his blue eyes equally damp, and beckons him over until he can join the hug. He wraps his arms around them both, and Daisy spoke softly.

“This is the best Mother’s Day ever,” she whispered, and both Phil and Melinda kissed her head.


	36. Chapter 36

The stack of paperwork Phil brings home with him for their long weekend is obnoxiously large- big enough that it requires both Daisy and Melinda to help him carry it in.

“How long have you been neglecting this?” Daisy asks, amused, and Phil shrugs as he spreads out the stacks on the kitchen table.

“Too long,” he answers, sighing, and Melinda snorts, kissing the back of his neck before she went to grab the take out menus.

“Pizza?” she asks, and Daisy nods, already setting up the Xbox. Phil groans, taking the beer from Melinda as she settles in his lap after ordering, stroking over his hair. “Sorry babe, you have work to do. No playing until you’re finished.”

She leaves him with a kiss before she’s settling in beside Daisy, Call of Duty up on the screen.

Phil manages to get through four reports before the pizza arrives, and another three before Daisy and Melinda’s good-natured trash talk started to distract him.

“You call that a shot? I thought you were better than that, May,” Daisy teases, nudging her as she fires off a few more shots, dropping a handful of guys.

“At least I can run straight,” Melinda counters, jumping into a throng of goons and setting off a grenade as she ran off. Daisy snorts, controller buttons clicking as she fired off a series of rounds, only for the screen to go red as her character died. “Oh, looks like only one of us is alive, and it isn’t you.”

“Oh I am kicking your ass. Rematch,” Daisy replies, and Phil gets up, shaking his head.

“I’m playing, I can’t pay attention to paperwork when you two are over here taunting each other,” he settles on Daisy’s other side, picking up the third controller.

“Tired of paperwork?” she teases, and Phil scoffs.

“It’s a Friday night. Paperwork is for losers.”


	37. Chapter 37

The smell of bacon frying wakes her up; she’s warm and comfortable, but the intoxicating combination of brewing coffee and cooking bacon drags her to the land of the living.

The chest she’s sprawled out on shifts as her bedmate wakes, and she snuggles closer as his hand rises to twine in her hair.

“Morning,” Robbie murmurs, voice rough with sleep, and Daisy hums, nuzzling into his neck. “Smells good.”

“Sunday breakfast is always good,” Daisy tells him, her own voice sleep-hoarse as she sits up, running a hand through her hair.

“I can-” Robbie starts, but as if Daisy sensed what he was trying to say, she cut him off, dragging him out of bed.

“You’re staying. Put your shirt on, Coulson doesn’t need a heart attack with his bacon.”

Robbie snorts, but tugs on his shirt as Daisy pulls on a pair of sweats, and he pulls her into a quick, soft kiss before she leads him out of the room.

Coulson is in the kitchen, manning the stove with a cup of coffee in his hand, and May is at the table, reading a section of the paper. She’d left the comic section on Daisy’s plate, and a mug of steaming coffee is at the stop across from hers, clearly meant for Robbie.

“Sleep well?” Coulson asks, raising an eyebrow, and Daisy furiously tries not to blush as she sits in her seat, accepting the coffee from Coulson with a smile.

“Like babies,” she replied, and May snorted, flipping a page in her newspaper and taking a sip of her tea. “What’s on the menu today?”

“Waffles, bacon, and toast,” Coulson answers, putting a plate in front of Robbie, then returning with two more plates for May and Daisy, and finally one for himself.

“We were going to walk on the beach later. You’re welcome to join us,” May says as she picks up her fork. Daisy looks at Robbie- the family dynamic was still something he was getting used to, but he gave her a small smile, taking her free hand under the table, and Daisy nodded, smiling as they all started to eat.


	38. Chapter 38

He’s exhausted, by the time he pulls up to the apartment complex. It’s been three weeks of flying on the Zephyr- three weeks of a crap bed, crap food, and going from sunrise to well into the night. His shoulders ache, and he could use a proper shower, but all he can think about is the woman waiting for him behind the door as he unlocks it.

Melinda’s in the armchair, nose in a book and a hand on the curve of her belly- she’s even got her rarely-used reading glasses on, though she slides them off as he shuts the door behind him, leaning back against it and just looking at her with a soft smile.

“You’re home,” she says softly, setting her book aside, and Phil nods, tired, letting his bag drop to the floor. “How was your mission?”

“Long,” he answers honestly, and Melinda frowns sympathetically. “Glad to be home.”

“If you’re so glad, why haven’t you kissed me yet?” she teases lightly, and Phil smiled, pushing off the door and coming to stand over her, bending down until he could press his lips to hers. Her hands cup his cheeks, brushing through the stubble he’s allowed to collect there.

“I missed you so much,” he murmurs, hand skimming down her arm until he can rest it against her side- her hand covers his, squeezing lightly as her lips touched the underside of his jaw.

“Let’s go to bed,” she whispers, kissing his pulse point. Then her nose crinkles. “Or shower. Let’s shower first. Then bed.”

Phil chuckles before he helps her stand, bending to kiss her once more, hands in her hair.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Father's Day!

Phil wakes up to the smell of good, strong coffee.

Melinda is slipping back into bed beside him- it was starting to become an awkward dance, lowering herself onto the mattress, but she’s smiling as her palm slides onto his chest.

“Happy Father’s Day,” she whispers, kissing his shoulder as his arm wraps around her, holding her to his side as Phil’s lips brush her forehead.

“Where’s Daisy?” he asks, sitting up a little and picking up the mug of coffee Melinda had placed on the nightstand.

“Getting breakfast from the diner and bringing it here,” she tells him, thumb stroking over his scar. “So we have to get dressed.”

Phil’s hand pressed against the curve of her belly- their daughter kicked and Melinda smiled, hand covering his as Phil’s thumb stroked her skin. He pressed his lips to her shoulder, then the underside of her jaw, and she sighed softly, arching into him.

His hand slid beneath her shirt and she shook her head, cupping his cheek as she gave him a smile.

“We have to save that for later,” she murmurs, thumb brushing his lower lip. “Daisy’ll be back soon.”

Phil groans but relents, kissing her once more before they both get out of bed; Phil pulled a shirt on as Melinda shrugged into a robe, tying it loosely just above her belly.

Phil’s drinking his coffee on the couch, Melinda tending to the boiling kettle on the stove, when the door opens. They both look up, expecting Daisy- and in she comes, but following her are Fitz and Jemma, and behind them Mack and Elena. They all have takeout containers in their hands and smiles on the faces, and Daisy is positively beaming.

“Happy Father’s Day,” she says, bending to kiss Phil’s cheek and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. “I figured we’d make it a family affair, since you’re Team Dad and all.”

Phil laughs, rough and overwhelmed, blue eyes suspiciously damp as Jemma bends to kiss his cheek as well, squeezing his shoulder.

“You didn’t have to do all this,” he starts, and Elena scoffs, waving his words away.

“Yes we did,” she tells him, raising an eyebrow as though daring him to contradict her.

“It’s Father’s Day,” Daisy reminds him, and his lips quirk in amusement as Melinda settles into his lap, tea in hand. “Just because you’re not biologically any of our fathers doesn’t mean you aren’t our dad.”

Melinda smiles at that, and Phil clears his throat, squeezing her hip.

“You- all know, how important you all are,” he starts, voice a little hoarse- Melinda touches the back of his next soothingly, and he continues. “And I’m honored to spend this holiday with all of you.”

Daisy gives a little clap, beaming through the tears coating her lashes, before she points to the food.

“Okay, enough sap- let’s eat!”


	40. Chapter 40

“Does it hurt?” Daisy asks, awe in her voice as she watches Melinda’s stomach intently, eyes widened as the outline of a tiny foot appears against her skin.

“It’s uncomfortable, but not really painful,” Melinda answers, adjusting her position a little, nails scratching the back of Phil’s neck as his fingers brushed over the outline of a small hand. “She’s just running out of room in there.”

“Only two more weeks,” Phil murmurs, looking up at Melinda, who gives him a soft little smile, thumb brushing his eyebrow gently.

“Nervous?” Daisy asks, and Melinda shrugs.

“It can’t be worse than taking multiple bullets,” she replies, face wrinkling after a moment, her hand coming to press against her left side. “Okay kid, be nice to Mom’s kidneys, please.”

Phil’s hand came to join hers, helping press until the baby shifted a little, and Melinda laughed softly.

“She has the hiccups,” she took both their hands, placing them on opposite sides, and they all held their breath, waiting, until the felt a tiny ripple. “Feel that?”

“That’s freaky,” Daisy replied, laughing, and Melinda smiled, stroking back some of Daisy’s hair behind her ear.

“Just your kid sister saying hi,” she reminds her, and Daisy smiles, leaning into her hand. “Who wants ice cream? A new place opened up around the corner, I think a walk would do us good.”

“I got your shoes,” Phil answer, kissing her cheek before he got up, and Melinda called after him.

“Matching ones this time, please!”


	41. Chapter 41

“She’s not supposed to be on the sofa, you know,” Daisy looks up at Melinda’s voice- she’s got an eyebrow raised, but a smile plays around her lips. Daisy scratches behind Carter’s ears again, the puppy leaning into her touch, and Daisy shrugs.

“Dad’s not home to yell at us for it though, is he?” she uses her sing-song voice, playing with Carter’s ears, and Melinda shook her head fondly. She carefully lowered herself onto the couch, sighing softly before she winced, shifting with a hand on her side. “You okay?”

“She’s just awake and moody,” Melinda answers, giving her a small smile- Carter wiggled her way across the couch to lick eagerly at Melinda’s face, drawing a soft laugh from her. “A little like you in the mornings.”

“Learning from the best,” Daisy brags, carefully placing her hand over Melinda’s. “So, what shall we do on the Coulson-free night? The last one before you two are parents.”

“We’re parents now,” Melinda corrects her, lifting a hand to stroke through Daisy’s hair- Carter nuzzling into her as well, wet nose touching her neck. “I just get to push this one out of me and probably break Phil’s hand.”

Daisy laughs at that, leaning her head against Melinda’s.

“We...want you to be there,” Melinda starts off slowly, shrugging one shoulder. “Only if you want to, of course, but-”

“Yes,” Daisy interrupts her, taking her hand. “Yes, of course I’ll be there. You can break my hand too.”

Melinda smiles, reaching over to wrap Daisy in a hug, holding her tightly.

“And we want you to be her godmother,” she tells her when they pull back. “If anything happens to us-”

“It won’t,” Daisy stops her, hands on her shoulders. “But of course. She’s my little sister, and I’ll take care of her no matter what.”

Melinda smiles, fingers touching Daisy’s cheek softly- until Carter bowled between them, demanding attention, and they both giggled, attaching the golden ball of fur with love.

Once Carter is tired out and near dozing against the signficant curve of Melinda’s belly, Daisy looks over at her, a wicked grin on her face.

“So- Call of Duty?”

“You’re on kid,” Melinda answered, taking the controller from the younger woman as she turned on the television. “Get the ice cream before you sit down.”

Her phone lit up with a text from Phil, saying goodnight and that he loved her, and when Daisy sat down, a tub of peanut butter ice cream and two spoons in her hands, she can’t help the kiss she places to her daughter’s temple.


	42. Chapter 42

_She’s nesting._

Daisy rereads Coulson’s text again and laughs softly, slipping her phone into her pocket as she makes her way down the hall to the apartment, slipping her key into the lock.

“May?” she calls as she locks it behind her, toeing off her boots and shrugging out of her jacket, draping it over the back of the chair.

“I’m in here!” is the muffled response, and Daisy frowns as she heads towards her.

May is in Daisy’s room, deep in the closet, and Daisy leans against the doorway, raising an eyebrow.

“What are you doing?” she asks, and May looks up- she looks ready to burst, with her due date quite literally around the corner.

“Cleaning your closet,” she answers, and Daisy snorts.

“It was clean before,” she replies, and May rolls her eyes, folding another shirt.

“Fine. I’m  _organizing_  it,” she corrects, before she beckons Daisy over. “Come here. I haven’t seen you all week.”

“Sorry. Long mission, then I had to help Mace out with some Inhuman stuff and Jemma and Fitz got a cat,” Daisy tells her, chin on her shoulder as May hugs her tightly. She doesn’t let go right away, and Daisy frowns, but continues hugging her. “Is everything okay?”

She feels May nod her head, and the hug only lasts a little while longer, but familiar dark eyes are a little damp, and May rubs at her face furiously.

“These hormones have me running the gaunlet of emotions these days,” she says in way of answer, taking a breath before she goes back to organizing Daisy’s impressive black t-shirt collection. “Is Phil with you?”

“No, he had some paperwork to finish and a late meeting with Mace about something. He’ll be back around 9 he said,” Daisy answers, watching May carefully as she rubbed at her side. The older woman caught her looking, and gave her a soft smile.

“I promise I’ll let you know if it’s real contractions, stop looking at me like I’m a bomb about to go off,” she teases, throwing a shirt at her. Daisy laughs, catching it before she darts forward to kiss May’s cheek, hugging her sideways for a moment.

“I’ll go make some food. Feel like grilled cheese?”

May nods, stroking her cheek for a moment before Daisy headed for the kitchen, humming softly under her breath in a way that was so reminiscent of Phil pesky little tears formed in the backs of her eyes that she shook away with a small smile.


	43. Chapter 43

She’s not sure what wakes her up- it’s been a long week of draining missions, and she was spending the night at the apartment. She’s warm and comfortable and nestled in a cocoon of blankets- and then she hears it.

Daisy can’t quite place it- it’s a seemingly-random knocking noise, like wood hitting wood, and she frowns sleepily, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes.

Then the  _noise_  starts.

It’s faint at first, but then the rhythm of the knocking matches the growing voices, and Daisy realizes what’s happening just as a faint cry of  _“Phil!”_  sounds from the next door bedroom.

“Oh ew ew ew ew ew,” she chants, digging through her bedside table for her headphones. She tries to drown out the noise next door- it’s her parents banging each other, for god’s sake, she never needed to know about their intimate life. “Where the hell are my headphones I need to make my eardrumbs bleed.”

She finally finds them, shoving them in her ears and thumbing through her music until she found some AC/DC and cranked up the volume before promptly shoving her head under the pillow.

_

“Leave me earplugs next time,” is all she says the next morning as she pours milk into her coffee, giving them a mild glare. Both May and Coulson have the decency to flush pink, Coulson disappearing behind the newspaper, and Daisy rolls her eyes, putting her mug to her lips.


	44. Chapter 44

When Melinda wakes up the morning of September third, some part of her just inherently knows it’s the last day before everything changes.

She rolls over to face Phil, stroking gentle fingertips over his cheeks and jaw, memorizing a face she knew she’d never forget as long as she drew breath. He stirred, humming low in his throat as he rose to consciousness- hazy, warm blue eyes opened to blink at her before familiar lips tugged into a half-smile that made her toes curl.

“I think today’s the last free day,” she whispers after a moment, and Phil’s brows furrow before realization dawns on his face.

“Yeah?” he asks, and Melinda nods, stroking along his jaw.

“I think we should stay in. Do something- just the three of us,” she says after a moment, touch drifting over his pulse point, savoring the steady thrum of his heart. “Everything’s going to change.”

“For the better,” Phil reminds her, his palms warm against the skin of her side, one half of his mouth quirking up at the kick he received as he skimmed his thumb underneath one of her ribs. He leans forward until he can press a kiss to the foot outlined in her skin, pressing his cheek to it. “We’re very excited to finally meet you.”

Melinda cards her hands through his hair, closing her eyes and savoring the moment, contentment lining her bones.

“Go get Daisy up. I’ll start your coffee,” she nudged at him gently after a few moments of silence, and Phil nods- he leans up, kissing her firmly before he’s out of bed, scratching at his stomach before he grabs a shirt, tugging it over his head as he left the room.

Melinda pulls on a robe before she heads for the kitchen- she starts coffee for Phil and Daisy before she makes a mug of tea for herself, using the leaves her mother had brought last time she’d visited. Daisy looks sleepy as she sits on the couch, immediately cocooning herself in a blanket, and Melinda smiles softly, bringing her a mug and stroking her hair softly before carefully lowering herself beside her.

The younger woman immediately pressed into her side, head sinking to her shoulder and lips parting in a loud yawn.

“Tomorrow’s the big day,” she says, smiling at the kick her palm receives upon placing her hand to Melinda’s middle. Melinda nods- she presses a kiss to Daisy’s head, stroking soft fingers down her shoulder. “What do you want to do today?”

“Be with you,” Melinda tells her, and Daisy looks up, startled but pleased, a pink hue coloring her cheeks. “I just want one last day before this little girl changes everything.”

There’s affection in her voice as she rubs at her side, wincing a little and shifting, releasing a soft little sigh. Daisy watches her carefully, and Melinda’s smile grows as she reaches up to smooth the wrinkles creasing her forehead.

“Stop with the face. I’m fine,” she reminds her, and Daisy nods, ducking her head a little. “In fact, I think I’m fine enough for French toast.”

Daisy perks up at that, looking at Phil expectantly- he gives a small laugh, shakes his head in bemusement before he heads to the kitchen.

“Anything for my girls,” he tells them, pulling out ingredients, and Daisy snuggles back into Melinda’s side, smirk playing around her lips.

“Think that means he’s game for a Scream marathon?” he asks, and Melinda snorts, burying her face in Daisy’s hair to hide her giggles- though not well enough, as Phil’s voice calls out from the depths of the fridge.

“I heard that!”


	45. Chapter 45

It’s been a long two weeks of being away- sleeping on a crappy bunk on the Zephyr and being away from his girls leaves him cranky and snappish as he gives his report.

“Sir- don’t take this the wrong way, but go home,” Jemma tells him. She gives him a small smile to soften her words, touching his arm. “You deserve a bit of a break and I believe there are some ladies who have been awaiting your arrival back on the ground.”

At that Phil cracks a smile, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

“Thanks, Jemma,” he replies, picking up his jacket. “Tell Fitz I said hi.”

The scientist smiles, waving before she leaves the room, and Phil makes his way to the garage, where is SUV is already gassed an ready to go. Mack waves before he returns to his conversation with Elena, who sends him a smile, and by the time Phil arrives home, his bad mood is lifted.

He can hear the sound of the television as he reaches the door, and when he unlocks it, finds Melinda and Daisy sprawled out on the couch, Carter nestled on Daisy’s lap, both of them sound asleep. The weight on his shoulders lifts as Melinda smiles at him, her fingers still carding through Daisy’s hair where the younger woman had her head resting on her thigh.

“You’re home,” she murmurs warmly, not wanting to wake Daisy, and he nods, silently shutting the door behind him. He toes off his shoes and hangs his jacket up before he walks over to her, bending to kiss her softly.

“Missed you,” he whispers, and she rests her head against his, nodding. Daisy stirs, blinking open dark eyes, and smiles when she sees him.

“You’re back,” she says hoarsely, voice thick with sleep. Phil nods, stroking through her hair, and Daisy leans into the touch, eyes closing again. “We should celebrate.”

“We’ll celebrate later. Go back to sleep,” he tells her quietly, settling carefully beside Melinda and letting his hand drift to the soft little swell that’s started to form in her middle. Her free hand covers his as she settled into his side, and Phil lets his own eyes slide shut, finally at peace- finally home.


	46. Chapter 46

“She’s so tiny,” Daisy whispers in awe, and Melinda nods, smiling up at her.

“Your turn,” she murmurs, adjusting Daisy’s arms until she can place the little girl in them- the baby shifts around until she could settle comfortably against Daisy’s chest, snuggling quietly before she calmed. “I knew you’d be a natural.”

Daisy looks up to smile at her, stroking over a tiny little fist.

“How do you feel?” she asked, and Melinda snorted.

“The epidural hasn’t worn off yet, so not awful,” she answers, fidling with the brand-new ring on her finger. “And I’m happy. That makes any pain worth it.”

“She’s kinda cute, too,” Phil comments as he enters the room- he’s got a cup of tea from Melinda’s favorite shop in his hands, and a bag that Daisy knows has two orange blossom scones in it. Melinda’s face lights up, and she tilts her face up until Phil lowers his head to kiss her before she takes the bag from him.

“You read my mind, I’ve been craving these scones since right about the time they told me I couldn’t eat anything else,” Melinda says as she breaks one in half, taking a bite and closing her eyes in bliss. “Oh, you’re perfect.”

“I can’t tell if you mean me or the scone, but thank you?” Phil says, and Melinda laughs, squeezing her fingers around his. The baby squirms, huffing out a sigh, and Phil comes over to carefully take her, running soft fingers through her baby-fine dark hair. “Hey, sweetheart.”

The little girl stretched out, rosebud lips puckering in a yawn before she nuzzled into Phil’s chest, eyes slipping shut once more. Daisy didn’t think she’d ever seen Phil look so in love before, and she leans into her hand with a small smile. She looks up at Melinda’s hand running through her hair, leaning into the touch.

“Today was a good day,” Daisy murmurs, and Melinda smiles, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Today was the best day.”


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby C has a name!

She waits three days before she vists. May and Coulson had both told her she was more than welcome, but she wanted to give them some time- to adjust.

“Oh, May, she’s so beautiful,” Jemma beams as she sets her handbag down, moving to where the older woman was settled on the couch. She smiles, beckoning the spot beside her. Jemma sits down, and May manipulates her arms before she settles the infant in her arms. “What name did you end up picking?”

“We named her Julia Faith,” May answers, stroking over her daughter’s foot as she settled comfortably in Jemma’s arms. “After Phil’s mother. And three decades of waiting.”

Jemma laughed softly, captivated by the little girl’s fingers curled around her pointer finger. She looked up at footsteps- beaming at Daisy as the other girl sank into the armchair.

“Coulson’s changing his shirt, he should be out in a minute,” Daisy tells May, who nods, rubbing at the back of her neck. “You can take a nap, you know. We’ll watch her.”

“I’m fine. I’d rather be up,” May answers, stroking Jemma’s shoulder before Julia captures her attention as she squirms. “Hey, it’s alright. Your Aunt Jemma’s got you.”

Jemma positively glows at the title, drawing a smile from May. Coulson enters the room, looking tired but happy as he smiles at Jemma.

“Hey, Simmons,” he said, kissing the top of first Daisy and then May’s heads before he bends to kiss Jemma’s cheek and Julia’s forehead. “Anyone want tea?”

A chorus of yes’s chime out, and Coulson starts the coffee maker for himself before filling the kettle and placing it on the stove.

“I vote we order pizza,” Daisy pipes up, and Jemma smiles as both May and Coulson nod. Julia squirms, blinking open large, dark eyes after she yawns, pink mouth gaping. She blinked at Jemma in interest, and she smiled down at her.

“Hello little one. I’m quite excited to meet you,” she murmurs; Julia blinks before she sighs and her eyes slip shut once more.

“Don’t take it personally. Being that cute is exhausting,” Coulson says as he sinks down on May’s other side; she leaned into his chest as his arm wrapped around her, and Jemma merely smiled.

“Oh I’ve no doubt.”


	48. Chapter 48

“We’ll be fine,” she assures Phil for the tenth time, stroking her fingers over the back of his hand as he glanced down at Julia. “You’ll be gone for a day at most, and Daisy is heading the mission.”

“I don’t want to leave,” he answers honestly, and Melinda softens, reaching up to kiss his cheek.

“You know what you’re coming home to,” she reminds him, and he looks at her a long moment, nodding. He bends to press a kiss to Julia’s forehead before settling her in Melinda’s arms, then leans forward to kiss her soundly, lingering for a moment before he pulls away and stands. “Come home safe.”

“Always,” he replies, lips quirking in a smile as he looks at them for another moment before opening the door and heading outside.

“All alone. What should we do?” Melinda murmured, adjusting her daughter and smiling as she kicked her legs, unhappy with being moved.

She looked up at the sound of a collar swishing- Carter bounded into the room, waiting patiently at Melinda’s feet, her head cocked as she looked at Julia. The not-quite-a-puppy-anymore had taken to sleeping in Daisy’s room when she wasn’t there, curled up on her bed, and when Melinda had checked on her an hour ago, she’d been in said position.

Carter didn’t really know what to make of Julia- she simply stared at her most of the team, and tried to redirect their attentions back to her.

“Come on Carter. Up,” Melinda patted the empty spot beside her, and after only a moment, the golden retriever hopped up on the couch. Melinda shifted a little so Julia was upright a little more, and wrapped her other arm around Carter. “I think it’s time for a proper introduction. Carter, this is Julia. Julia, this is Carter.”

Julia’s face wrinkled, and Melinda smiled, carefully shifting them closer together until she could touch her daughter’s tiny fist to Carter’s soft fur. The dog remained still, sniffing cautiously, as she adjusted to the new touch.

“See? Not so bad,” Melinda murmured, and Carter surged up, licking her face as Melinda laughed. Carter went to lick Julia as well, but Melinda pulled her back, shaking her head. “Julia’s too little for that right now, Carter. She has to get a little bigger, and then you’ll have another playmate.”

Carter cocked her head, one soft ear covering an eye, and Melinda leaned forward, kissing her snout. She’s distracted by Julia squirming, face scrunching up, and she frowns.

“What’s wrong sweetheart?” she asks, shifting her a little, but nothing soothes the quiet whimpers from the infant until she’d shifted her position, and Julia dropped her small hand to nestle in Carter’s fur. Her cries quieted, and Melinda watched as Carter shifted closer, and Julia settled down, eyes slipping shut.

Melinda settled in as both Julia and Carter drifted off to sleep, a smile on her face and heart warm.


	49. Chapter 49

“Bobbi!” Daisy exclaims happily, wrapping her arms around the tall blonde and hugging her tightly. “You look amazing.”

“Lucas is crawling, I lost the rest of the baby weight chasing him,” she replied as Daisy led her into the apartment, shutting the door behind her. She was toeing off her boots when Melinda walked through the hallway, Julia snuggled in her arms. “Well would you look at that.”

Melinda looks up from the baby, face creasing into a smile as she caught sight of Bobbi. “It’s about time you showed up.”

“I’m going to reiterate: crawling toddler,” Bobbi replies, rolling her eyes before she takes Julia from Melinda. “God, May, she’s beautiful.”

“We did pretty good,” Melinda replies softly, before she leans forward, kissing Bobbi’s cheek. “You look well. How’re the boys?”

“Exhausting. But wonderful,” Bobbi answers, stroking her fingers over Julia’s clenched fist. “Coulson took them to the diner, they’re bringing food back.”

“Come, sit, tell us all about LA,” Melinda guides Bobbi to the sofa, Daisy taking the armchair as they settle down together.

“It’s too hot,” the blonde complains, smiling when Julia shifted, blinking open sleepy blue eyes. “But we’re happy. We miss SHIELD.”

“We miss you,” Melinda tells her, laying a hand on her arm and squeezing. “It’s good to have you back, even if it’s only for a short time.”

Bobbi smiled, adjusting Julia in her arms, and they all looked up at the sound of the door unlocking. Phil walked in, Hunter following closely behind with Lucas on his hip. The toddler giggled, blue eyes bright as he spotted Melinda, reaching for her.

“What am I, chopped liver around the grandparents?” Hunter lamented as he deposited Lucas in Melinda’s arms, who immediately wrapped the boy in a tight hug.

“We’re the fun ones,” she tells him with a shrug, and Hunter scoffed, bending to kiss the top of Daisy’s head.

“He’s all yours. Bugger crawls everywhere,” he tells her, and Bobbi rolls her eyes.

“Go help with the food, Hunter,” she tells him, shaking her head affectionately, and he squeezes her shoulder as he passes, going to help Phil get the food out. “So. Is motherhood different than you expected, May?”

“I had practice,” Melinda answers, looking at Daisy with a small smile; the brunette blushed, ducking her head as she shrugged. “And Julia’s a good baby, even if she likes to be awake all night long.”

Bobbi laughed at that.

“Oh, just  _wait_  until she starts teething.”


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this has 50 chapters, or so many kudos or hits or comments. Thank you so much for your support and love for this verse. It is truly a pleasure for me to write, and I'm so happy to share it with all of you!

Her parents arrive four weeks after Julia is born, which shocks Melinda- she’d expected them to arrive within days of her birth.

“I’m fine on the couch. I promise,” Daisy assures her, pressing a kiss to her check as Melinda helps her grab linens from the hall closet. “They’re only here for a week. I’ll survive.”

“You’re so good,” Melinda answers, kissing her head, and Daisy beams. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen my mother smile this much.”

“Pretty sure that’s Julia’s superpower,” Daisy replies, and Melinda’s smile gentles. “Come on, let’s go see if she’s managed to wrap William even more tightly around her tiny little fingers.”

In the kitchen, Phil is cooking something with Lian in the kitchen, listening to her instructions carefully as they craft something that smells suspiciously similar to one of Melinda’s favorite childhood dishes. William is on the couch, Julia contentedly nestled in his arms and blinking up at him curiously.

“Hi sweetheart,” Melinda bends to kiss her daughter’s head, smiling into her hair briefly before lifting a little to kiss her father’s cheek. “How’s she doing?”

“A perfect angel. She gets that from me,” William tells her, winking, and Lian scoffs from the kitchen.

“Stop telling our granddaughter lies,” she tells him, pointing her wooden spoon at William, who merely laughed. Daisy settled down beside it, and William lifted his free hand to touch her cheek, drawing a sweet blush to Daisy’s cheeks, lips curving into a smile. Melinda pressed another kiss to Julia’s head before she padded into the kitchen.

“Hey,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around Phil’s waist and nestling her head between his shoulder blades. He lifted one hand to cover hers on his chest, squeezing gently. “This smells suspiciously like a favorite soup of mine.”

“I knew your nose would remember,” Lian remarks, giving her daughter a small smile. “I am teaching Phil how to make it. For Julia.”

 _For you_  is the silent addition to the sentence, and Melinda leaned over, kissing her mother’s cheek. “Thank you, Mama.”

Lian hums, saying nothing more, and Melinda squeezes Phil a little tighter as she looks at her family. Contentment washes through her bones, and she lets her lips quirk into a small, soft smile.


	51. Chapter 51

He’s so happy to be  _home._

He’d been on the Zephyr for nearly four weeks, surviving on Facetime and phone calls, but it’s not nearly enough- not nearly the same as being home with his girls. He locks the door behind him, and leaves his bag to be unpacked at a later moment; for now all he cares about is the woman smiling at him from the couch and the baby in her arms.

“You’re finally home,” Melinda murmurs softly, and Phil nods, kicking off his shoes and watching her with a tired, happy smile on his face.

“For the next two weeks,” he answers, coming over to brush a hand gently over Julia’s head. “God I missed her so much.”

“She’s been fussy,” Melinda tells him as he takes their daughter into his arms, adjusting her as she squirmed a little, nuzzling her tiny face against his shirt. Julia settled down almost instantly, giving a contented little sigh, and Melinda rolled her eyes. “Of course she settles down for you. Such a Daddy’s girl.”

“Oh, don’t even give me that, she’s a Mommy’s girl after you’re gone just as bad,” Phil tells her, and Melinda smirks, fondness in her eyes. “I missed you too, you know.”

“Oh really? Then why haven’t you kissed me yet?” she asked, and Phil’s eyes flicked down to her lips moments before he leaned forward. Their mouths met slowly, kissing languidly, and his forehead pressed against hers when they parted. “Much better.”

“It’s good to be home,” Phil murmurs, and Melinda cups his cheek in her palm, stroking his skin.

“Right where you’re supposed to be.”


	52. Chapter 52

“Think there’s any chance that Julia’s taking a nap?” Melinda asks, though there’s fondness in her voice as she parks the SUV. Phil snorts, looking over at her with a raised eyebrow.

“A five year old, spending all day with her sister instead of her boring old parents? I think the chances are highly unlikely,” he replies, drawing a smirk from Melinda as they exit the vehicle, and stride into the base.

The living area is empty, and so is the kitchen- it isn’t until they’re in the hall of the Director’s office that they hear the giggling, and they share an amused glance before they open the door.

Dominating most of the left side of the office is a rather impressive fort, comprised of pillows and couch cushions- they can see Daisy’s legs sticking out of it, and hear Julia’s high-pitched, tinkling laughter coming from within. A stack of folders sits abandoned on the desk, and Melinda folds her arms over her chest.

“Is the Director of SHIELD really laying on the ground instead of doing work?”

Daisy’s head pops out of the other side of the fort, mused from the static of the pillows.

“Listen, it was totally your kid’s idea to build a pillow fort on my office floor, not mine,” she defends herself, and Julia pops up, knocking the well-built structure apart as she stands in the middle of it, hands on her hips.

“Did  _not_ ,” Julia’s eyebrows knit together in a way that mirrors Phil’s so well Melinda has to hide her smile in her hand, trying hard not to laugh. “You didn’t wanna do your work, Daisy!”

“You’re such a  _tattletale_ ,” Daisy says, tugging Julia down into her and tickling her sides, but she’s grinning, and Julia giggles, trying to squirm away.

“Mama, Daddy- help!”

“Oh, no, you brought this on yourself, baby girl. Go for her weak spots,” Melinda tells her, and Julia turns, wriggling her fingers under Daisy’s neck, drawing a laugh from her big sister.

“Alright, alright- uncle!” Daisy says, and they both collapse, panting. “Ugh. Now we have to pick all these pillows up.”

“Oh, was that our subtle hint to help?” Phil asks, lifting an eyebrow, and Melinda snorts, picking up a cushion.

“Daisy, subtle? That’d be a first,” she answers, placing it back on the couch as her daughters picked themselves off the floor and dusted themselves off and began to help clean up. When Daisy’s office looked normal once more, she looked down at her youngest. “Ready for dinner, qiānjīn?”

“Can Daisy come! Please!” Julia asks, hands clasped up under her chin, lower lip stuck out in a pout as she looks up at her mother. Melinda tries to keep a straight face, but relents after only a moment with a sigh.

“Well, alright. Since I know she’s not going to get anymore work done today,” she answers, stroking over her daughter’s hair. Daisy puts on a mock offended face, though she’s already grabbing both her and Julia’s jackets from the closet.

“Hey! I’ll have you know I get more work done in this office than Coulson ever did.”

“Do you want me to pay for your meal, or not?”

“I’m just saying...”


	53. Chapter 53

“Aww, is the kid down for a nap? I was hoping for some snuggle time,” Daisy says as she dumps her bag by the door and toes out of her boots. May looks up from the dishes she’s doing, giving her a soft smile.

“She should be up, if you want to go check- I put her down over an hour ago but she was fussy, she’s getting a new tooth,” she answers, and Daisy’s eyes light up as she heads down the hall.

She opens the bedroom door quietly, lips curving into a smile at the quiet noises she encounters as she steps inside.

“Hey baby girl,” she whispers as she walks over to Julia’s crib, beaming down at the baby, who babbles back up at her happily. “I have missed you so much.”

She scoops her little sister up, cradling her close and breathing in her baby smell as she rocked her gently side to side.

“So what have I missed?” she asks as she walks back out into the living room; Coulson had joined May in the kitchen, starting dinner, and he smiles at the sight of them. “Mom and Dad being boring and domestic? They’re insufferable at work, you know. Even Fitz and Simmons aren’t this bad and they’re  _actually_ married.”

“You know that we can hear you, right?” May asks, lifting an eyebrow as she looks up from chopping vegetables. Daisy grins over at her, and May shakes her head fondly. “Does she seem hungry? She didn’t want anything earlier, but I put her bottle in the fridge just in case.”

“She’s a little squirmy, it’s worth a try,” Daisy answers, and Coulson heats the bottle up, bringing it over to her and dropping a kiss to the top of her head before returning to the meat he has cooking on the stove. “Alright kid, let’s feed you. Wanna hear about all the missions I sent junior agents out on today?”

“Let’s keep the stories clean, please,” Coulson reminds her, and Daisy scoffs.

“Spoiler sport,” she tells him, adjusting Julia as she begins to suck on her bottle. “Well, first I sent Piper out to get decent coffee, because the base coffee sucks ass.”

“Alright, that’s harsh,” Coulson argues, and Daisy snorts. The motion jostles Julia, pulling the bottle from her mouth, and she gives an annoyed noise of displeasure that pulls Daisy’s attention back to her.

“Sorry, sorry! I’m paying attention to you again, promise,” Daisy assures her, stroking over Julia’s foot lightly. Julia’s lips quirk into a smile around the nipple of the bottle, and Daisy’s own lips curl upwards in response. There’s the sound of a photo being snapped on a phone, and she shakes her head fondly, looking up slowly. “I told you to turn your sound of, you know.”

“Ah, but then what would you make fun of me for?” Coulson says, pocketing his phone, and Daisy rolls her eyes, turning her attention back to Julia.


	54. Chapter 54

“Mama, I don’t feel good,” is the froggy moan Melinda is greeted with at nearly five am as Julia starts to climb into bed with her. She shifts, wrapping her daughter up in her arms as she feels her forehead- she’s burning up, and already sweaty with fever.

“Oh, baby. I’ll have your dad get some soup and juice on his way back, he and Daisy should be coming back from their mission pretty soon, okay?” Melinda says, and Julia nods, whining weakly when Melinda moves to get her phone to text Phil.

Once she’s sent him instructions on what to get from the grocery and drug stores, she nudges Julia gently.

“Let’s go get in some clean pajamas and wipe your face with some cold water, Jules,” Melinda murmurs as she gets out of bed, picking her little girl up and cradling her close, rubbing her back as she headed to the bathroom. Settling her on the bathroom counter, she wets a washcloth with water as cold as she can get it, pressing it to the back of Julia’s neck and wiping her damp forehead.

“Too cold Mama,” Julia protests, shaking her head as tears leak from her eyes, and Melinda shushes her gently, picking her back up.

“Okay, okay- we’ll go get in some new pajamas, how’s that sound?”

She’s finished changing Julia and placed her back in her and Phil’s bed with a dose of children’s tylenol in her system and is on her way to strip Julia’s toddler bed of its sheets when she hears the sound of the front door.

“Oh, you’re back, did you get- oh no, tell me she’s not sick too,” Melinda’s face falls at how pale and run-down Daisy looks, leaning against Phil and shivering. “Oh, honey.”

“I just need to sleep it off,” Daisy insists, teeth chattering as her shoulders shake, and Phil shakes his head. “I’ll be good as new in 12 hours.”

“Yeah- no. You have a fever of 102 and you’ve been shaking all night. What you need is some fluids, to get some rest, and to not think about work for the time being,” he tells her, guiding her towards Melinda. “I didn’t have time to stop to get anything- can you get Dais settled while I head back out?”

“Yeah, I’ve got it here. Julia’s cranky and feverish in our bed, I’ll quarantine Daisy with her,” Melinda’s lips quirk up, and Phil’s eyes crinkle as Daisy rests her head on Melinda’s shoulder. “Go- hurry back.”

Melinda guides Daisy to the bathroom and runs the cold water once more- while Daisy presses the compress to her face, Melinda grabs her a change of clothes.

Once Daisy is changed and Melinda’s gotten a dose of cold meds into her, she guides her into bed beside Julia. The little girl opens fever-hazy eyes at the jostling motion of the bed, lips trembling as they part.

“Daisy?” she whispers, and Daisy nods, shivering as she stroked some of Julia’s hair out of her eyes.

“Yeah, kiddo. Looks like we’re both under the weather,” she replies, letting Julia burrow into her side as Melinda covers them with another blanket.

“Mama, lay with us,” Julia begged, and Melinda softened, settling atop the covers on Julia’s other side and stroking over first her hair and then Daisy’s.

“This bed won’t fit four,” Daisy tells her hoarsely, and Melinda can’t help but give a soft laugh.

“I think you overestimate the spaces Phil and I have squeezed into over the years,” she replies, and Daisy groans into the pillow.

“Gross, Mom,” she says, sleep in her voice and eyes shut. Melinda smiles, fingers stroking her cheek gently until she felt Daisy’s breathing even out. Julia is sleeping fitfully between them, clearly dreaming as she radiated heat, and Melinda eases herself from the bed carefully.

Phil is unloading the grocery bags when she comes down the hall, and he smiles when he sees her.

“They’re out for now. But they both have pretty high fevers- I think this is something they’re just gonna have to sweat out, unfortunately,” she tells him, and Phil frowns, rubbing his palm between her shoulder blades.

“I got juice, Gatorade, soup- the whole nine yards. Daisy’s had a fever since sometime last night, I’m suspecting. She tried to tough it out, but once we landed she nearly passed out walking out of the Zephyr,” Phil says, and Melinda casts a glance down the hall, worry creasing her brows. “It’s just a bug, babe. They’ll be fine.”

“I know. I just…hate when they’re sick,” she confesses, and Phil presses a soft kiss to her temple.

“I know. You don’t like things you can’t take down with those fists of yours,” he teases, stroking a fingertip over her knuckles. Melinda rolled her eyes.

“You get any sleep on the Zephyr?” she asks, and Phil sighs, shaking his head. Melinda tugs at his hand, pulling him with her to the couch. “Let’s nap while we can. It’s going to be a long few days.”

 


	55. Chapter 55

“If you don’t pick up the pace, you’re not gonna win,” Daisy looks up from the paperwork she has spread out on the kitchen table at Coulson’s teasing voice, lips quirking upwards as she watches them play a video game on the couch. Julia was down for the night, exhausted after a week of grouchiness from teething, and May and Coulson finally had a chance to relax together.

She, however, had a mound of paperwork she was buried under, hence why she wasn’t joining the trashtalking on the couch, much as she was enjoying it.

“We’ll see about that old man. I always win,” May countered, fingers jamming a few buttons on the controls, and Daisy snorted affectionately, shaking her head as she signed off on another report and set it aside.

She made it through another report before there was a triumphant noise from Coulson and an annoyed huff from May, and the sound of the controller being placed on the coffee table.

“What was that about always winning?” Coulson taunts, voice thick with amusement, and Daisy looks up just in time to see May flip him off.

“I think you can sleep out here tonight,” May tells him in reply, and Coulson laughs, tugging her into his lap across the couch, nuzzling her neck.

“Oh, I beat you at Mario Kart and now you’re banishing me to the couch for the night? I see how it is. Sore loser,” he teases, fingers flirting with her sides and making her squirm as her palm cups the back of his neck, a long-suffering sigh leaving her mouth. “We both know you hate sleeping alone in that big bed.”

“Alright, adult kid present, monitor the conversation,” Daisy pipes up, and they both look up, cheeks a little pink and expressions vaguely chastised as Phil sends her a sheepish smile. “I’m finally caught up- got another round in you? That way you can redeem yourself, May.”

“Oh, you’re on kid.”


End file.
